Day In A Life: Balancing Fitness And Work As Busy New Parents

Live Lean Daddy Day Care | Live Lean Life Ep. 038

On today’s vlog episode of Live Lean TV, I’m sharing a day in the life of balancing fitness and work as busy new parents.

In Live Lean Life Vlog Ep. 038 I share:

Good Morning From The Gouthro Family

What’s up everybody, good morning.

The cutest thing just happened.

While Kyla was breastfeeding, she fell asleep, however her mouth was still making the sucking movements.

It looked like she was dreaming about booby milk.

Speaking of cute, last night my dog Bruno told me he wasn’t getting enough camera time anymore.

Before Kyla was born, Bruno used to be the center of attention.

He still gets a lot of love from us though.

Today’s Mobility Focused Gym Workout

I’m on my way to the gym.

It’s mobility day today.

I’m feeling a little bit tight after yesterday’s leg day workout.

Remember, Living Lean is not just about getting into the gym and ripping the muscles apart.

It’s also about stretching the muscles.

It makes Jessica nuts when people talk about elongating and lengthening your muscles.

She always says, “Your muscles are as long as they’re ever going to be.”

Truth.

I Wish I Focused On Mobility Sooner

During the beginning of my journey, when I was younger, I really wish I focused more on mobility work.

The reason is simple.

As you get up in age, you feel a little tighter when you wake up in the morning.

Based on this, I’m really focusing a lot more on keeping my joints healthy, by staying mobile and active to keep the blood flowing.

Maybe I’ll throw in some abs exercises into today’s workout as well.

Let’s go to the gym.

6 Mobility Exercises For Hips

#1. Couch Stretch

The Couch Stretch is a great way to test and improve the mobility and flexibility in your hips.

To get started:

1. Get down on your hands and knees with your feet against a wall or couch.
2. Keeping one knee on the floor, lift the opposite foot and slide it up the wall, or the front of the couch, until the top of your foot and shin is flat against the wall.
3. Step forward with the opposite leg so you foot is directly below your knee.
4. Lift your torso up so it’s inline with your quadriceps on the back leg.
5. Squeeze your glutes and contract your hamstrings by trying to pull your heel to your butt.
6. Set the timer, hold, and repeat with the other leg.

#2. Standing Hamstring Stretch

The Standing Hamstring Stretch is a great way to stretch tight hamstring muscles on the back of the legs.

To get started:

1. Stand tall with your feet hip width apart, with your arms hanging by your sides.
2. Shift your body weight onto one leg, lift the other leg off the ground, and place your heel on top of a sturdy bench, box, step, or chair.
3. Keep your elevated leg straight, with your toes pointing upwards.
4. Slowly hinge forward at the hips, leading with your chest while keeping your back as straight as you can.
5. Think about pushing your glutes back, as you lean forward.
6. Reach towards your elevated foot or shin, with both hands.
7. Depending on your flexibility, you can place your hands on your thigh, shin, or foot.
8. Hold the stretch, while maintaining a steady breath, as you slowly relax deeper into the stretch.
9. Slowly rise back up by lifting your torso, then lower the elevated leg back down to the ground.
10. Switch legs and repeat.

#3. Elevated Pigeon

The Elevated Pigeon Stretch is a stretch that primarily targets the muscles in the gluteus maximus, hip external rotators, and piriformis found on the outer thigh.

The secondary stretched muscles include the hamstrings and lower back.

To make it easier, you can remove the elevation and simply complete the pigeon stretch on the floor.

To get started:

1. Stand facing a sturdy bench, box, step, or chair.
2. Grab the bench for support, then lift one leg and place your ankle on top of the bench, with your knee bent at a 90 degree angle.
3. Ensure your back foot is positioned a comfortable distance away from the chair on the floor, while maintaining a hip width stance, with your hips squared to the front.
4. Keeping your back straight, hinge at your hips and lean forward over your elevated leg, while maintaining a neutral spine.
5. You should feel a good stretch in the outer hip and glute on the same side as the elevated bent leg.
6. You can decrease the intensity by leaning less forward, or you can increase the intensity by leaning more forward, or dropping your back knee to the floor.
7. Focus on relaxing into the stretch by swaying back and forth to feel the opening of your hips.
8. Breath deeply to enhance the stretch rather than forcing your body into an uncomfortable position.
9. Continue to sway back and forth in this stretched position for the desired amount of time.
10. Switch legs and repeat.

#4. 90/90 Hip Stretch With Spine Rotation

The 90/90 Hip Stretch With Spine Rotation helps improve hip mobility by relieving tension and opening up the hip muscles.

To get started:

1. Sit down on the floor with one leg in front of your body, with your knee bent at a 90 degree angle, hip rotated outward, and the outside of your bent leg pressed into the floor.
2. Place your back leg behind you, with your knee bent at a 90 degree angle, with your hip rotated inward, and the inside of your bent leg pressed into the floor.
3. Both your front and back knee should be in line with your hips.
4. Press your hand on the same side as your front leg into your front knee, as you slowly twist your upper torso away from your front knee.
5. Hold the stretch for a few seconds, then come back to center and repeat for the desired reps.
6. Switch your legs, by bringing your back leg forward, and your forward leg back, and repeat.

#5. Lying Hip Crossover Stretch

The Lying Hip Crossover Stretch is a great way to help open up and stretch the hips.

To get started:

1. Lie flat on your back on the floor.
2. Take a deep breath in, then as you exhale, bend one knee and bring it towards your chest.
3. Clasp your hands together as you hug your knee with both hands, while keeping the other leg straight on the floor.
4. Pull the bent knee across your body with the opposite hand, as you extend your other hand out to the side.
5. Turn your neck to look at your extended hand.
6. Breathe deeply as you feel the stretch in the outer hip on the bent knee.
7. Hold this position for the desired time, then reverse the movement to bring your knee back to center, then extend your leg back to the floor.
8. Repeat with the other leg.

#6. Lying Knee Hug

The Lying Knee Hug primarily stretches the glutes and lower back, while also stretching the hip flexors.

To get started:

1. Lie flat on your back on the floor.
2. Extend your legs fully and relax your arms by your sides.
3. Take a deep breath in, then as you exhale, bend one knee and bring it towards your chest.
4. Clasp both of your hands around your knee, with the opposite leg extended on the floor.
5. Pull your bent knee gently towards your chest, feeling a stretch in your glutes and lower back.
6. Hold this position for the desired time as you breath deeply and relax into the stretch.
7. Release the bent leg and return it to the starting position on the ground.
8. Repeat the same movement with the opposite leg.

That was today’s mobility workout.

Balancing Fitness As Busy New Parents

Here’s the system Jessica and I use, that allows both of us to workout at the gym, with a newborn baby.

While Jessica babysits the kids at home, I go to the gym by myself.

Once my workout is over, Jessica, Kyla, and Bruno walk to the gym to meet me.

This is where Jessica and I make the tradeoff.

Jessica goes into the gym for her workout, while I walk Kyla and Bruno back home.

That way, I get my workout in, Jessica gets her workout in, while Bruno and Kyla also get in a nice walk.

You have to find ways to make it work.

As new parents, this way has been working out well for us.

Dad Life Starts Now

Once Kyla, Bruno, and I arrived back home, after our walk from the gym, I made this post workout protein shake.

Before I eat some food, it’s time to play with Kyla and show her some love.

When I’m at the office, I don’t get to see Kyla as much.

Therefore when I’m home, I like to spend quality time with her, by giving her 100% of my attention.

Daddy Daughter Play Time Activities

It’s time to play.

During our play session:

• We played with her toy dog
• I took Kyla flying
• She hung upside down
• I used Kyla as a medicine ball during my Russian Twists
• I through Kyla up and down in the air
• We played the “Pat a Cake, Pat a Cake” song, the protein remix
• Kyla worked on saying the word, “Protein“
• Kyla tried crawling, but it turned into twerking

Dad Revelations

Even though I’ve only known Kyla for six months, I’ve learned two things about it.

#1. One thing is for sure, she loves the camera.

Whenever I turn the camera on, Kyla can’t keep her eyes off of it, even when we’re playing.

She must be thinking, “I’m so gorgeous”.

#2. She dislikes it when she is not the center of attention.

Based on these two thing, I’m predicting it’s going to be a fun time for daddy, when she hits her teenage years! 😱

I Admit, I Wanted A Boy First

Before we got pregnant and had Kyla, I always said I wanted a boy first.

When I found out that we were having a girl, even though I was pumped, I was a little bit sad we weren’t having a boy.

I always thought little baby girls were gentle, therefore you couldn’t roughhouse when playing with them.

Fortunately, I was wrong.

Kyla loves to jump, play rough, and be thrown around.

It makes me so happy that she loves all the fun stuff that I do.

Now that I know this, I honestly wouldn’t change having a girl first.

I would never trade her in for anything else in the world.

I love having a little baby daughter, because she is not just a prissy girl.

Hopefully she will also like to play sports.

Side note: look at those arm gains.

Balancing Parenthood With Work Is All About Systems

It’s time for daddy to get cleaned up and ready to go.

That way, once Jess gets home from the gym, I can head to the office to get some work done.

Balancing parenthood with work is all about systems.

When you have a system in place, things get done.

Most people who are successful in life have systems.

Like I mentioned earlier, when Jessica goes to the gym, she takes the kids with her and we do the tradeoff.

I leave the gym and take the kids home with me.

Then when I’m at home, I get cleaned up, I eat, and I play with Kyla.

Once Jessica gets home from the gym, I can then go to work at the office.

Systems equal success.

Kyla is going to hang out in her crib, while I jump into the shower.

Hopefully Kyla will be a good girl while daddy’s in the shower.

She’s a big girl now, so I think she can handle herself.

Remembering The Feeling Of Bottle Feeding My Baby For The First Time

After the shower, it was time to bottle feed Kyla some booby milk.

As a Live Leaner, I will always teach her that you have to eat to get your gains and stay lean.

While she was drinking, I was chanting…”Drink, drink, drink, drink”.

She looked at me like, “Daddy you’re acting dumb and silly and it’s ruining my booby milk time.”

I’ll just be quiet now.

While I let Kyla drink, I start talking directly to the camera.

However, once she remembered the camera was on, she stopped drinking immediately to stare into the camera again 😂.

Here’s what I said.

I remember the first time I fed Kyla booby milk from the bottle.

At that time, I had a revelation like, wow, I am totally responsible for everything regarding this child’s life.

Honestly, this girl has changed my life.

As a parent, I now realize that life is no longer about you.

It’s about raising your child, who will eventually become our family’s legacy.

It’s a beautiful thing.

There was a time where I didn’t want kids.

However, now that I have them, I would never trade it for the world.

Frozen Grapes Are An Excellent And Delicious Snack

Once Kyla started holding her own bottle, my hands were free to eat some frozen grapes.

Compared to fresh grapes, frozen grapes are an awesome snack, because you have to eat them one at a time, to avoid getting brain freeze.

When I eat fresh grapes, I find that I eat them way too fast.

Here’s how to make frozen grapes:

1. Buy regular grapes at the grocery store.
2. Remove the stems.
3. Put the grapes in a single serving size plastic bag.
4. Freeze them.

Frozen grapes are an excellent and delicious snack.

However, Kyla doesn’t think they are as good as the booby milk.

Mini Grocery Haul

Once Kyla was done feeding, Jessica came home after a great workout at the gym.

On her way home, Jessica stopped at the grocery store to pick up some food staples that we always have in our house.

Here’s what she bought:

• Almonds
• Frozen mangoes
• Frozen blueberries
• Frozen strawberries
• Chicken breast
• Spinach
• Avocados
• Tomatoes

Thanks for coming along with me on my little daddy daycare session.

Hopefully you enjoyed it.

Now I have to get to work.

It’s time to put in the work and make this family some money.

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Question For You:

• Do you have kids?
• How do you balance fitness and work as busy parents?

Be sure to share your answers in the comment section below.

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One response to “Day In A Life: Balancing Fitness And Work As Busy New Parents”

1. Pingback: A Day In The Life: What To Do On An Active Recovery Day - Live Lean TV

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