How Susannah Juggles Parenthood, a Career and Finding Time to Exercise

As a devoted parent, you support and take care of your children, tirelessly helping them chase their dreams, and championing their aspirations. It’s a labour of love that often sees you putting your own needs on the back burner. While prioritising your children is a natural instinct, it’s essential to remember the importance of self-care in this journey called parenthood.

Incorporating exercise into your daily routine isn’t just a luxury—it’s a vital component of maintaining your well-being amidst the demands of family life. It’s about carving out time for yourself, recharging your batteries, and nurturing your physical and mental health so you can continue to be the best parent possible.

Meet Susannah, one of our esteemed Exercise Physiologists at Longevity. As a devoted mother, partner, and team leader, Susannah understands first-hand the challenges of balancing parenthood with personal health. Through her own experiences and dedication to fitness, she offers valuable perspectives and practical advice on integrating exercise into the busy lives of hardworking parents like yourself.

Why do you exercise? 

Exercise makes me feel good, it allows me to be a better person for the people around me at work, for my kids and my partner. 

How has your relationship with exercise changed since having kids? 

A lot. Its changed, I have to be a lot more organised and diligent with my planning. There’s not a lot of time to spare time. Time is a barrier I’m constantly having to overcome. Having a scheduled time for exercise really helps me with this. 

How do you find time to exercise? 

Coordination with my husband is so important, I can’t just go and exercise when with the kids need me. Open communication with my husband is critical, this can include staying later at work exercising while he pick-ups the kids and cooks dinner. It is a partnership, we both understand how important it is that we make time to look after ourselves. 

How have you managed to stay active through all stages of being a parent 

It’s fluctuated. There have been difficult times where I haven’t been able to exercise as much as I would have liked. Before kids, it was a lot easier to find time. I saw a health professional to get the reassurance I needed to continue exercising. It was important to have the guidance of a professional to help me return back to exercise safely.

How does longevity help you to stay active?

Having a flexible schedule allows me to manage work and family, while also being able dedicate time to exercise. Working in a gym alongside other Exercise Physiologists keeps me accountable.

Any advice to fellow Parents?

Stop procrastinating and reach out for help. As a parent you have 1 million things to do and looking after yourself needs to be a priority. There are so many reasons why we may not go to the gym or go for a walk, but we have to find a way to fit in. In the end its all  so I can be the best version of myself for my family. 

All the mums and dads out there, we invite you to explore the power of exercise with Longevity. With our lifetime booking system, you’ll seize the opportunity to carve out dedicated time for yourself each week, ensuring a consistent commitment to your health. 

Imagine having a personalised schedule tailored to your needs, providing you with the structure and flexibility necessary to prioritise your fitness goals amidst life’s demands. 

Ready to value future you?  Your health is not a luxury; it’s a necessity.

Written by Michael Heptinstall