Is the dad bod unavoidable?

How do you still get to exercise despite having a family? Is the dad bod unavoidable?

Here are the tips from the fittest Instagram dads to combat daddy belly. Plus: an effective training plan for the home gym.

Being fit as a new father is not something you can take for granted. Even if you had a nice six-pack before giving birth, you tend to lose your shape when your partner is pregnant.

As a study by St. George’s University in London found, men gain an average of 4 kilos during their partner’s pregnancy – the phenomenon even has a name: Couvade Syndrome . When the child finally sees the light of day, things don’t get much better. Finding time for exercise alongside changing diapers, housework and a job is a real challenge. The result is usually the infamous “Dad Bod”.

What exactly is a dad bod?

Dad Bod stands for Dad Body – a term that emerged in the USA and describes the slightly muscular but above all chubby stature typical of fathers.

A popular example is actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who proudly showed off his dad bod on the beach. But even if you’d like to look like a movie star, unfortunately it’s not healthy.

How harmful is a dad bod really?

A gram of fat here, a small roll of fat there – in principle, no problem. The new trend is even beneficial for men’s self-image. However, the fat must not become too much, otherwise it can quickly lead to health problems.

As weight gain progresses, visceral fat, so-called storage fat, often forms around the organs. According to a study published in the “Medicine (Baltimore) International Journal” , internal fat leads to a risk of high blood pressure. The WHtR (waist-to-height ratio) provides a good assessment of whether your dad bod is still healthy or whether you should change something as soon as possible. If your height divided by your waist circumference is over 0.5, you should take urgent action.

To avoid getting into this situation in the first place, or to get out of it as quickly as possible, we went on a search and found fit Instagram dads who could serve as role models. They told us their secret of how they stay fit despite being active fathers.

“I want to be a role model for my kids”

Paul from Hamburg, better known on Instagram as @daddy.channel , has two children – and lots of fun, as you can see on his Insta account. Here he reveals his fitness secret.

“At almost 50 years old, I am the proud father of two lively boys and I work – a balancing act that often demands everything from me. The challenges of balancing family, job and my own needs should not be underestimated. But one thing is particularly important to me: staying fit and healthy, not only for myself but also as a role model for my children.

I want to show them that it is possible to take care of yourself and lead an active lifestyle despite a busy schedule. Sport has always been an important part of my life and that has not changed to this day. It is not just about physical fitness for me, but also about mental balance. After a hard day at work or a sleepless night because one of the boys is sick, sport gives me new energy. It is my way of clearing my head and reducing stress. Of course, it is not always easy to find time for sport.

The days are often too short to fit everything in and there is always an excuse for not making it to the gym today. However, I have discovered that it doesn’t always have to be the gym. I consciously integrate exercise into my everyday life: a few push-ups in the morning, a jog after dinner or just playing around on the playground with the boys – all of that counts. The important thing is that I stick with it and don’t allow long breaks. I notice that my children benefit from it.

They see that Dad cares about his health and that also influences their attitude. When I drink my smoothie in the morning, they often want to try it and when I go jogging, they sometimes ask if they can come with me. That makes me proud and confirms that I am on the right path. I am convinced that you can stay fit and healthy even in old age if you don’t let the challenges of everyday life overwhelm you. It is often a battle against your inner demons, but every step, every training session and every healthy meal is a step in the right direction. And when my children look at me one day and say: ‘Dad is our role model’, then I know that all the effort was worth it.”

“It’s all a question of priority”

Mark from Hamburg is a new father. He is not only known from Instagram, he also has a very successful podcast – “Fitness with MARK” .

“No time for more exercise? My theory is: It’s not a lack of time, but a lack of priorities. Priorities are not set in stone, of course not. But they require a conscious decision: if you say ‘yes’ to something, you’re usually saying ‘no’ to something else at the same time. As a new dad, the value of family slipped up a few notches for me. Being there for my daughter is a priority for me. Will I still be able to fit in my training? Yes. Because it’s also in the top 3 of my values. Other areas have slipped down. That’s okay, because the either-or question only arises when two values compete with each other. For me, there’s no question of cancelling training or time with my daughter to meet up with friends. Well, and it’s best when you can combine the two. Walks are a wonderful way to get more exercise into your everyday life. And they can be wonderfully combined: with an important long phone call, a friendly meeting – or time with your loved ones. By the way, I now always go running with three people: my daughter in the stroller and a good friend who accompanies me.”

“Fitness allows me to actively participate in my children’s lives”

Markus Ertelt (46) is an actor (“Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten”), entrepreneur, competitor and passionate father. He was most recently seen in the sports reality show ” 

“Sport has always been an integral part of my life and is still a priority today. For me, fitness means not only physical health, but also energy, mental strength and balance in everyday life. My day usually starts early – I get up at 5 a.m. to have time for my training. I usually train before my children wake up or right after I take them to school. This routine is firmly integrated into my weekly schedule and I find it easy to stick to it. Training is my personal me-time, in which I clear my head and recharge my batteries to tackle the challenges of the day.

My training plan includes five sessions per week. Around 70 percent of this consists of classic strength training, supplemented by cardio training. This mix has proven successful for me and is also what I recommend to others: strength training as a basis and cardio as a supplement. I often train on an empty stomach, which works well for me, but this is individual and depends on your own goals and physical reaction. My diet is uncomplicated and tailored to my everyday life.

I have been practicing intermittent fasting for more than 20 years and eat two meals a day – a late breakfast and an evening meal with the family. I rely on protein-rich foods such as eggs, goat cheese, pulses and lean meat, supplemented by vegetables and carbohydrates such as rice or sweet potatoes, and I usually have bread in the morning. Nevertheless, I also enjoy life: a beer or a good wine with friends is part of it for me. It is important that I keep it in moderation and do not let such moments of pleasure become a daily routine.

As a father, it is particularly important to me to stay fit. My fitness not only makes me a role model for my girls, but also enables me to take an active part in their lives. Whether playing in the garden, cycling or going on excursions – I am ready for any activity. Being active together not only strengthens our bond, but also conveys the joy of exercise and a healthy lifestyle. For me, fitness is not a duty, but a benefit – for my health, my family and my everyday life.”

“A mini workout of 15 minutes gives a good basic fitness”

Sebastian from Cologne is a full-time online editor and father of a small daughter. He writes about the topic “Fit despite having a family” on his blog . This is how he stays fit:

“I have 2 basic rules for staying fit: get as much exercise as possible into your daily routine and do mini workouts in between. It’s important to me that I don’t miss my family. So I try to fit the fitness phases into time slots when I wouldn’t be available anyway: for example, I use the way to work or the early morning hours. In concrete terms, this looks like this for me: Component 1 is exercise. I walk to work and back almost every day (one way is just under 5 kilometers).

That’s good for me. The XL walk relieves stress, I get fresh air, light and exercise in the morning. My goal is at least 10,000 steps a day (pedometer helps). That also means: stairs instead of elevator. Component 2: mini workouts. I like to keep training simple. I try to do 100 push-ups or 100 squats every day. That only takes about 15 minutes and gives you a good basic level of fitness. My wife and I also have We agreed on a division of labor: one day I put my daughter Lene to bed, the next day my wife.

This means I can theoretically go to the gym around the corner every other day. There I train for a maximum of 30 minutes with super sets, sometimes the upper body, sometimes the lower body (4 exercises). What many people don’t know is that there are various gyms with childcare. This solves a lot of problems for parents. The important thing is that the gym is right around the corner or on the way to work. Otherwise you won’t be able to go regularly.”

“Good organization and planning is the be-all and end-all”

Stefan aka life.of.stef is a two-time Ironman participant, multiple ultra trail runner and father of a son. How does he manage to combine sport and family?

“Successful training with a child requires good planning. Training can be made easier in the long term if you get your child used to the child trailer when cycling or running at an early stage, carefully adapt the exercises to the child’s needs and remain flexible. Instead of worrying too much, try out what works best for the child and yourself.

Setting realistic goals is the key to avoiding frustration when training doesn’t go quite according to plan. And clever weekly planning ensures that training fits in with the child’s sleeping times or that they are comfortably accommodated in the trailer.”

“Time-saving training according to the 3-7 method”

Hamburg native Nico Airone is not only a father of two, but also a biohacker, personal trainer, food coach, bestselling author

“My tip: integrate short but intense full-body workouts into your daily routine that can be done in the morning. The goal is to train in a very time-efficient way, using the 3-7 method, for example. You do 3 repetitions of an exercise, then take a 15-second break, then 4 repetitions, another 15-second break, and so on, until you finally reach 7 repetitions.

The weight stays the same. Then there is a longer break until the next exercise, which is then performed according to the same pattern. These short breaks between repetitions ensure that you are exercising intensively and at the same time save time.”

“In principle, you don’t need much to run”

Philipp Pflieger is a multiple German long-distance running champion, took part in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and is the father of a daughter. This is how he combines family and competitive sport.

“Time is even rarer when you have children. Life moves fast enough as it is, and when you combine it with a job and family, you’ll find plenty of excuses to put sport on the back burner. The effort is often not as great as you might like to tell yourself. As a former marathon runner, running is still very important to me even after my career has ended, and it’s the way to stay fit and resilient.

The good thing about running is that you don’t really need much other than a pair of good running shoes to get started straight away, so the barrier to entry in terms of equipment is low. You can also run anywhere – you don’t have to drive to a gym, you can start straight from home, run during your lunch break at work, or even on a business trip, because a pair of running shoes and a sports outfit easily fit into any hand luggage.

Running also has the great advantage of being extremely effective. You burn more calories when running than with any other endurance sport, and running is known to train endurance, which is good for the cardiovascular system. You can really work out in a 30-minute session, it relieves stress and you’re rewarded with an extra dose of endorphins afterwards.”

“Set small daily goals that add up over time”

Matt Fox is a former professional athlete and father of two sons. With his fitness program Bodyweight Built, the coach from Australia has already helped numerous men who have reached their own fitness limits.

“Get up early and exercise before the family and kids wake up. If you leave it until the end of the day, there are too many uncertainties that could potentially prevent you from exercising. Exercise doesn’t have to be long or involve weights. I’ve been training with body weight or very minimal equipment (kettlebells) for over 7 years, and my workouts rarely last longer than 45 minutes.

My tip: get your family and kids involved. Not only are you teaching them healthy habits and that exercise is a part of life, but you’re also doing something good together. Take walks, exercise at home without equipment, and let them see you commit – be a role model. If you work at a desk, set an alarm for every hour, get up, and set a goal for the day.

For example, it could be 20 squats per hour during your workday – by the end of the day, you would have done 200 squats! That adds up over a week and a month.”

“I’ll just take the little one to the gym”

Martin aka Gymperformance is a passionate online fitness coach. The Swiss is also the father of a little daughter. This is his strongest strategy in the gym.

“If you think of fitness as just a body cult, you should try it out first. Fitness can do so much more for us humans and that’s what I love about it. Sport contributes massively to my well-being by giving me more energy. This boosts my productivity and also my creativity. With the birth of my daughter Lara, I realized that I had to make sacrifices in my training.

I used to go to the gym 6 days a week and 2 hours a day. That would be completely unthinkable now. But I learned through the transition to being a father that it doesn’t have to be 2 hours of training a day. Now I train much more effectively and for much shorter periods of time.”

“I usually train for an hour when the children are in kindergarten and school”

Dominic Harrison lives in Dubai with his wife and two daughters. In addition to his work as CEO of a skincare brand and a yacht company, the influencer still finds time for sports.

“Before I became a dad, I mostly trained in the evenings. But that changed very quickly. Now I train first thing in the morning after I’ve taken the kids to school and kindergarten. The training sessions are shorter to save time and more intense to still achieve a certain muscle stimulus.

I usually do my rest days at the weekend, when the focus is on the family. But even when the kids are at home, you can either take turns with your partner to get your training sessions in or do one or two exercises together with the kids. Sometimes I use them as weights, that’s what they enjoy the most. Or you just play so actively with the kids that at least a little cardio session comes out of it.”

“60 minutes of exercise in the evening in the home gym is enough”

Markus from Salzburg is Head of Marketing and has two children of kindergarten age. This is what his everyday sporting routine looks like.

“It’s important that you stick with it. You don’t have to do a strength or endurance program for 1 to 2 hours every day. For me, training is an important part of my life – a balance to everyday life, to clear my head. A healthy balance of training and healthy nutrition will have a noticeable effect on your body after just a short time.

I prefer short training sessions of a maximum of one hour in my own four walls. I like to do these in the evening when the children are in bed. At home I can switch off best and I also have my own little home gym in the basement.”

“The girls can join in with the one-hour CrossFit training”

Andreas from Neuss, better known as @andy7ne , is the father of 2 daughters and took part in 2 Hyrox events last year.

“I used to have 1000 good excuses every day not to exercise, because as a dad, husband, employee and volunteer, you have enough to do. But I have discovered my love for CrossFit. In one hour you can complete an incredibly strenuous full-body workout, build muscle and do cardio at the same time, which would otherwise take hours in the gym. Just the thing for moms and dads. The best thing is that you can also bring the children to our CrossFit box.

We even offer a children’s CrossFit course, which my daughters love to attend. I now need exercise like I need air to breathe. I no longer look for excuses not to go to exercise, but pack up my family and we are active together. It doesn’t matter whether we are swimming, CrossFit, climbing or in the trampoline hall. Sport and exercise are simply part of everyday life.”

“Nothing makes you fitter than going out with the kids”

Marcel from Schwerte is a police chief inspector, ambitious amateur athlete and passionate dad.

“Nothing makes you fitter than going outside with the children and the dog. We love being in the woods, fields and in nature every day. And everyone had predicted to me: ‘You’ll be calmer as a father!’ That was probably my motivation to take part in at least one long-distance triathlon or 1 or 2 similar competitions every year since Anni was born. The children cheer along the course or run to the finish line with me. My eldest has already won awards in short races and swimming badges.

It’s the best thing ever when you can pass on motivation, joy and fun. And why not train with the whole family? That’s what shared cycling companions and/or sports strollers are for – that’s what they were made for.”

“I train at home – when the kids are sleeping, I can squeeze in another session”

Shagel lives in Hamburg and is a coach and CrossFit athlete. He is the father of two sons. The two regularly crash the athlete’s workouts.

“When my son was born 10 years ago, I had to decide: Do I keep partying or do I really go for it in sports? The decision was quickly clear and I became a professional CrossFit athlete. My training intensified as a result and sport became even more important in my life. In order to have more time for my family, I decided to hand over the planning of my workouts and my nutrition plan.

This was not an easy step for me as a coach, but I am rewarded every day for it. Every second with my boys is precious. I can give this tip to get help to anyone who is seriously trying to balance family and sport. Especially when it comes to amateur athletes. Because the little time that remains for sport should be used as effectively as possible.”

“In parent-child karate we let off steam together”

Andreas is the father of three little boys and works as a self-employed personal trainer. The Munich native relies on kettlebells – and these tips.

“Before I start training, I check in with the kids and my wife to see if they need anything else from me. Then I devote myself entirely to my exercise program. With three children, it’s important to take the time, otherwise you’ll fall behind. And that doesn’t help anyone. When I do sports, I’m balanced and feel good. I can give the energy I gain back to the family, and everyone is happy.

Sometimes the boys join me in my training and we have a lot of fun together. But most of the time I train on my own. That’s OK for me. No one is forced to do sports. It’s enough for me to be active in my role as a role model. We’ve recently all started going to karate together. That way we even get a few social contacts outside of our circle of friends, which we really like.”

Conclusion: Take the time for sports, fathers!

You see, it really isn’t that difficult to get or stay fit as a father. Whether it’s a home gym, fitness with the family or a clearly structured daily routine: sport is important, not only to get rid of the dad bod, but above all as a counterbalance to daily stress. To clear your head and feel more alert and better. Family and work are important, but you should also feel good. And: fitness is not a question of the time you have, but a question of the time you take!