How does one achieve a 'dad bod'? originally appeared on Quora: The best answer to any question.
Answer by Alex Elderfield, Projects Director at HeathWallace, on Quora.
How did I obtain and how do I maintain my Dad bod?
Adjusting your daily routine so that you can spend time with your kids while they are young but still progress your career to ensure that one day you can afford to send them to college means a few changes and a few challenges.
Motivation. I'm in my forties and I want to see my preschooler graduate.
This means some lifestyle changes.
I'm lucky to be a big chap, tall, broad shoulders and a metabolism that seems to allow my to put on muscle mass with small amounts of resistance training.
It also means I can carry a lot of fat without really noticing it but that's not great for my heart or other organs, so it needs addressing.
I'm usually up at 6 a.m. to pick up and take my youngest into his Mum for some milk. Before I jump into the shower I normally do 20 press ups, 20 twisting crunches, 20 back raises and 20 side stretches. These exercises are to maintain strength in my inner core as I put my back out as a teenager lifting dance flooring and, as it is a bit fragile, again lifting my eldest out of her cot a few years back. As my youngest gets heavier I want to be able to lift him.
Three days during the week I also try to fit in some aerobic exercise, which at the moment is just a 5:30 a.m. lap of the village (just a quick 3km).
Breakfast is whatever can be had while dressing and feeding the kids before getting in my 7:14 a.m. bus. Either a bowl of mixed muesli with semi-skimmed milk, a smoothie of milk, banana, blueberries and oats or a rice pot with eggs and beans from Itsu.
Being a Dad has meant that I see things a little differently and look more to my kids future and their future world.
I no longer rag around in a Porsche, instead my wife and I share a Volvo and I commute by public transport and walk wherever I can. This allows me more time to read, listen to podcasts, is more reliable than sitting in the increasing traffic and ensures I do at least two lots of 15 mins walking every weekday.
I use the stairs not the lift at work and I try to speak to people in person rather than phone or Skype to get me walking.
Lunch is often bought at the moment but it does mean I get another 15 min walk in.
Train home and normally a walk up and down while I wait for my wife to grab me on her way home from work and the nursery.
Dinner with the family, now on smaller plates to avoid pigging out. My wife normally cooks so ensures a good mix of veggies.
Now that we've got kids I'd normally not drink alcohol during the week but I'm addicted to caffeine so will have 2-3 cups of espresso a day.
I do bedtime with the kids which normally involves some play, a bath (only twice s week) then a story before sleep.
Then time to wind down unless it is band night, book club or something to be run or organised in the village.
A few kettlebell swings (currently just 20 good ones).
Bed by midnight.
Weekends are slightly different as the start with a 7:30 a.m. family dog walk which is just over a local hill and back (just 3 miles) with my youngest in a rucksack on my back.
During the weekend we'll try to get out on an adventure for at least one day, which usually involves a shoulder ride for at least one of the kids. Who needs a gym.
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