Healthy Habits for Busy Parents: Simple Steps to Get Started

You know you want to feel better. You also have a toddler on your hip, an inbox that never empties and a gym membership you have not used since March. So where do you start?

That was the question I put to online coach Josh Wood on the podcast. Josh is a personal trainer with a Bachelor of Health Science majoring in traditional Chinese medicine, a former wilderness guide, and a time-poor parent of two young kids himself. His answer was refreshingly short: simplify, and take the smallest step first.

From computer repairs to coaching parents

Josh grew up in Minnesota and moved to Australia in 2008. His path into health started in his teens, when he realised he needed to be more active and proactive. He took up MMA and Brazilian jiu jitsu, later trained as a massage therapist and personal trainer, and studied traditional Chinese medicine at university.

Along the way he noticed something. In clinic settings, many people wanted a quick fix, such as herbs or tablets, rather than the lifestyle basics like sunlight, real food and movement. So he moved into fitness and eventually into online coaching, where he can support clients every day of the week rather than for one hour. Many of the people he coaches are busy parents, and he coaches tactical athletes such as police and military personnel too.

Start with the smallest possible step

Josh's golden rule is to do the smallest thing first and do it consistently before adding more. He calls this approach TNT: tiny noticeable things. If you are facing a mountain, whether that is a chocolate habit or an actual mountain, you move it with small actions each day.

For most people, the first tiny step is walking. Life is so sedentary that simply moving more makes a difference. His challenge to anyone who says they have no time: walk for 10 minutes after each of your three meals. That adds up to 30 minutes a day, or around three and a half hours of exercise a week, and he reckons it is achievable whatever your responsibilities. A short walk after eating also tends to feel natural, because the body wants to move after a meal.

The bigger benefit is mindset. When you take control of one small thing, you notice the win, and that tends to build momentum for the next change.

Protein first: a palm-sized portion at every meal

When it comes to food, Josh says it depends on the person, but in his experience nearly everyone needs more protein. Your hair, skin, nails and bones all rely on protein, and so does the muscle you need to stay capable as you age. He notes that when protein is sorted, other things tend to fall into place more easily.

His practical, no-scales method is what he calls proportional eating:

• Look at the size and thickness of your palm.
• Aim for at least one palm-sized portion of a protein-dense food at each meal, such as lean meat, fish or low-fat Greek yoghurt.
• Build the rest of your plate around it.

If you like numbers, Josh sometimes does a "calibration period" once or twice a year where he weighs and measures his food for about 10 days to refresh his sense of portion sizes. Otherwise, the palm method works fine.

Add in, rather than cut out

Josh prefers an additive approach to changing your diet. Rather than giving up favourite foods, add a protein portion, add vegetables, and step it up over weeks or months. In his experience, a lot of the junk food stops fitting, and you stop craving it, because there is simply less room for it.

Breakfast and timing

Josh does not believe breakfast is magic, but he does point out that if you skip it you may struggle to reach your protein needs across the day. He often asks clients to aim for around 30 grams of protein at breakfast. Within a couple of weeks, he says, they commonly report fewer cravings mid-morning and less of the three o'clock slump.

On meal timing more broadly, he stays flexible. Some people sleep better with a lighter dinner, others with a bigger one, and he is happy to go with what works for the individual.

Simplify: fitness that fits around your kids

Overwhelm is a big reason people put off their health. There is too much information and too many things to buy. Josh's answer is to strip it back:

• You do not need special clothes or a gym. Jeans and a t-shirt are fine for walking with your kids.
• Stack habits. Do squats while the coffee brews, or hold the baby while you squat.
• Eat what your kids eat. If you would not feed it to them, ask why you are feeding it to yourself.
• Keep equipment minimal. A pair of dumbbells in the living room, or a backpack with water bottles for weighted walks, goes a long way.

He shared the story of a client in his mid-20s who signed up for a year, hoping to lose weight before starting a family. By focusing on food, walking with a weighted backpack and a couple of gym sessions a week, he lost 30 kilos. Josh's point is that the basics, done consistently, add up.

If you are looking to progress your training once the basics are in place, our article on building strength safely with strongman Mitchell Hooper pairs well with Josh's gradual approach.

Sleep on a 24-hour schedule

For new parents, Josh's number one priority is sleep, because everything gets harder without it. His reframe is to stop thinking you need all your sleep at once. If you can get around eight hours across a 24-hour period, a few hours at night plus naps when the baby sleeps, you are doing better than you think.

Tiredness and stress push cortisol up, which he links to sweet cravings, poorer food choices and reaching for wine or beer more often. That is how, in his words, the "dad bod" sneaks up. Protect sleep where you can, and you reduce the pull of those cravings.

Think trends, not perfect days

Josh also made a point I loved: he does not believe in good and bad foods, but in good and bad trends. A treat in isolation is not a problem. Training seven days a week is not required, and one session a week is fine if it suits your life and you feel good. Holistic health, he says, is about the overall pattern, not isolated incidents, which frees you from food dogma and the guilt cycle that follows a slip.

Key takeaways

• Start with the smallest step that you can repeat every day.
• Walk for 10 minutes after each meal.
• Include a palm-sized portion of protein at every meal, and add foods in rather than cutting them out.
• Count sleep across 24 hours, naps included, if you have a baby.
• Judge your health by the trend, not by one meal or one missed workout.

Connect with Josh Wood

You can find Josh at strongforlife.online, where he shares free resources including a beginner gym guide, or on Instagram as coach Josh Wood.

This article is general information only and is not medical or individual health advice. Please speak with your doctor or a qualified health professional before changing your diet or exercise routine.

If you would like help turning small steps into a plan that suits your life, we would love to hear from you. At me&my wellness you can book a free 15-minute clarity call to talk through where to begin.