By  David Tepera, May 16, 2018

As you can imagine, being in the fitness industry, I’m typically in daily conversation with people about diets, exercises and weight training. It’s inevitable how many people, especially parents, tell me they’re too busy to workout.

My immediate reaction is always the same, “you’re not too busy, it’s just a matter of priorities.”

I’m sure many people reading this have used that same old excuse. Yes, I called it an excuse.

I understand family and work will always come first, but if you really plan your schedule, working out can more easily fit than you want to accept.

How many times do you hit the snooze button each morning? How many TV shows do you watch at night? You get my drift because there are multiple gym memberships that are open all night or super early in the morning.

When I was married and my kids were much smaller, I would do all my training early in the morning while they slept. Then, I would come home, wake everyone, cook breakfast and get them ready for the day.

For all you school-age athletes, the summer is coming, and how do you plan to prepare for next year’s sports? You going to suck up AC all day or get climatized to the heat, so you can be the leader at practice? I know in these modern days, schools offer summer camps to help all athletes. I recommend joining in.

Back in the 1990s, when I was a high school football coach, I learned an important lesson from my father when he coached football. Two months out from two-a-days, Dad would start running and exercising in the heat as preparation. I followed his lead and became known as “coach on the run.” I would perform the drills with the team to push them past their comfort zones.

Now parents, be the leaders in your family. Show your kids that working out will always be a part of life. It should be as routine as brushing your teeth and making the bed each day.

Almost every time I’m in the gym, I see parents training with their teenage children. If you think about it, it’s not really a parenting moment, but an opportunity to bond and spend healthy quality time.

So, start today and throw away excuses, organize your priorities and I’ll see you in the gym.