Parenthood is a transformative time filled with joy, challenges, and endless demands on your time. For many parents, prioritising their own mental health and physical activity can feel like a distant dream. But exercise is not just a luxury—it’s a critical factor for mental health and well-being. The irony? Parenthood often makes finding the time or motivation to exercise harder than ever.
Yet, what if prioritising your own physical activity could create a ripple effect that benefits your child? Research highlights that how parents approach exercise can shape not only their mental health but also their children’s attitudes and behaviours toward physical activity. (Hamilton et al.)
Why Motivation Matters
When parents exercise out of a sense of obligation or guilt—feeling they “have to” rather than “want to”—the demands of parenting can make it hard to sustain this habit. Studies suggest that this type of controlled motivation might not only reduce parents’ engagement in physical activity but also weaken their intentions to encourage exercise in their children.
In contrast, when parents exercise because they genuinely value and enjoy it (autonomous motivation), they are more likely to stick with it. This intrinsic motivation fosters a positive attitude toward physical activity, which can be contagious. Children are observant and often mirror their parents’ behaviours and attitudes. When parents authentically enjoy exercise, their kids are more likely to adopt the same mindset.
The Study: Small Changes, Big Impact
A study by Hamilton and colleagues examined the relationship between parental motivation and physical activity in families with young children. Using a validated questionnaire, the researchers assessed whether parents were motivated by personal values (identified motivation) or external pressures (external motivation) and compared these with physical activity levels in both parents and children. Participants would respond to statements like:
- “I exercise because I value the benefits of physical activity” (identified motivation).
- “I exercise because I feel I have to” (external motivation).
The findings reveal that:
Identified motivation (exercising because it aligns with personal values) was associated with an additional six minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day for parents. While this might seem small, over a week, it adds up to an extra 42 minutes—almost a third of the recommended weekly guidelines.
Conversely, external motivation (exercising out of guilt or obligation) was linked to three fewer minutes of child moderate-to-vigorous activity per day. Although this reduction seems minor, it accounts for 5% of the daily physical activity recommended for children.
The authors stated: “These findings suggest that family-based physical activity interventions which rely on strategies that promote parents’ controlled motivation (eg, offering incentives, motivating through demand compliance or using guilt inducement) may be a poor investment of time and resources as they are unlikely to increase parents’ moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and may have a negative effect on child moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.”
These findings underscore the importance of parents developing a healthy and intrinsic relationship with exercise—not only for their own well-being but also for its potential to positively influence their children.
Making It Work
As a parent, balancing self-care with caregiving can feel overwhelming. But taking small steps to prioritise exercise can pay off in more ways than one:
Find joy in movement: Choose activities that you genuinely enjoy. Whether it’s dancing, walking, or yoga, the key is to focus on how good it makes you feel.
Involve your kids: Physical activity doesn’t have to be solo. Family bike rides, park trips, or playing tag can make exercise fun for everyone.
Reframe the narrative: Instead of seeing exercise as another chore, view it as a way to recharge, connect with your child, and model healthy habits.
Parenthood may limit your time, but it doesn’t have to limit your mental health. By finding ways to exercise with intention and joy, you’ll not only improve your own well-being but also help nurture a lifelong love of movement in your child.
References
Emma Solomon-Moore, Simon J Sebire, Janice L Thompson, Jesmond Zahra, Debbie A Lawlor, Russ Jago – Are parents’ motivations to exercise and intention to engage in regular family-based activity associated with both adult and child physical activity?: BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine 2017;2:e000137.
Hamilton K, Cox S, White KM, et al. Testing a model of physical activity among mothers and fathers of young children: Integrating Self-Determined motivation, Planning, and the Theory of Planned Behavior. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology 2012; 34:124–45.doi:10.1123/jsep.34.1.124