How to Chisel Out the Dad Bod You've Always Wanted
Now that Father's Day has come and gone (Happy Father's Day to all of you hard working and dedicated Dad's out there), you might have found yourself looking inwards as to what you would like to accomplish next. If you've been neglecting the gym because you simply can't seem to find time to get there because you're busy at work, coaching Little League, mowing the lawn and doing all of the other things you have on your list of responsibilities, here's a few great tips you can use to help chisel away at your Dad Bod so you too can look and feel good with each day that passes.
Tighten Up your Diet
This is easier said than done and hitting the drive thru at the nearest Starbucks on your way to work and the closest McDonalds on your way out to coach the kids after work, is way easier than prepping and packing food and bringing it with you. However, with that said, these daily routines have gotten you to your current state in which you feel you need to tighten things up again. The first place to start in this regard is your diet. If you can dedicate a half hour of your life each evening to packing quality foods for the next day's meals, you'll be dropping waist sizes in no time. Make sure you don't forget your cooler on your way out the door in the morning and just take this new approach one day at a time. If you slip up, no big deal. One or two days out of seven in the week where you find yourself at that drive thru window again isn't going to be the end of the world and you were able to put together more good days than bad so that's a win in my column.
Give the Booze a Break
There's nothing like having a cold one or a glass of wine at the end of a hard day's work right? Unfortunately for us, alcohol has no place in a regimen designed to produce physical gains. The extra calories in these drinks coupled with the negative effects alcohol has on protein synthesis will do you no good if you're trying to tighten up that Dad Bod. You don't have to swear off alcohol forever, but my advice would be to give it a break for at least a month to see what happens. I guarantee your stomach bloat will subside significantly, the bloating in your face will come down, your body will start to feel stronger and healthier and you'll most likely have a lot more energy to do all of the things you have to do because the alcohol won't be interfering with your body's processing of all of the good foods you're now eating. Trust me when I say that dropping the beers will equate to you dropping the pounds and if losing weight and tightening up is important to you, then this is an extremely important step.
You Have to Train (whatever that may look like)
I'm sure there are many of you Dads out there who spend long hours sitting at a desk to get stuff done. The amount of time you sit down during the day has been proven to have a direct negative correlation to overall physical health, so with that said, you have to do your best to find time to train, however that may look. It could mean you go for a walk on your lunch hour, it could mean you find a gym that's close to you and crush a 30 minute workout there before going back to work, it could mean instead of taking the dog for a walk before bed you take him for a run, it could mean you purchase some cheap but useable gym equipment for yourself and put it in the basement. I don't know what it's going to end up looking like for you but anything is better than nothing. All you have to do is get your heart rate elevated and maintain it for 20-30 minutes a day and you're well on your way to improving your physique. You don't have to look at working out as a monumental task to take on because it really doesn't have to be like that at all. A little will go a long way in improving your health, body and mind.
The thing is, what you once were in your Heyday may not be the same as what you are now while wearing your Heydays. But that doesn't mean all hope is lost in terms of improving your body and being strong and fit. Take the steps necessary to improve upon your lifestyle and the better you start looking and feeling, the more time you'll start to make for yourself in this respect. Get started now and don't look back!
Author: Dana Bushell
AST Sports Science sponsored athlete/writer, sponsored by Schiek Sports Inc.