[Solved] Single Dads Fitness Club

Hi,

Let me just quickly explain where I am in life and then I'll get to the point.

I'm fast approaching 40 and have three children (13,11 and 7) with my ex-wife. Things are still amicable and I see the children at the weekend. After the split I met someone else through work and we started seeing each other. Last February we had a little boy and by October I had left her. It just wasn't working; in hindsight this my have been a bit premature but anyway it is what it is.

I had a flat which I rented out to tenants whilst I was with my ex which I now live in myself. Again, we have kept the split as amicable as possible and we both have shared custody of our boy. Due to both working in the same industry we have tailored our shifts to suit the "hand him over in a pub car park" approach. It's not ideal but it keeps the cost down.

Now, having gone through this second break up and still finding my ex heart stoppingly beautiful it's been awkward. Very mixed emotions and some very low points. Luckily, I have always been aware of the link between depression and alcohol abuse and have made every effort not fall into that trap as difficult as that may be. Stay with me because I'm coming to the point.....

So my life tends to revolve around work, then having my little boy, then at the weekends have the other children and on the very rare occasion I get a night to myself. Here's what I have noticed, I must be washing my clothes on a hot wash because they are all becoming very tight. Or I'm piling the weight on.

Due to the change in circumstance I don't cycle to work because of the time constraints of meeting my ex to collect our boy. I can't go to the gym due to the similar constraints and if I'm being honest I don't really want to do much on the one night off.

So this leaves me with very little source of exercise and as much as I don't have time for another relationship there will come a time when I may want something more. There me be more of me to love now but I am getting a little frustrated.

Currently the most I can do is go for a long walk with my boy in his trolley or strap his baby carrier to my back and get into the nearby hills. Both very good exercise but take a large amount of time which is at a premium. Due to the split I also find myself suffering financially so any gym membership is out of the question. As I was on a long walk yesterday I came up with this idea and wondered if any fathers out there had there own opinion:

- I want to exercise quickly and vigourously. The best way to do this is a high impact curcuit or fartlek training. This could easily be done on a local park where you could do a bootcamp/ sprints/ duathlon. With a 45 minute maximum training time and with the weather getting better/ evenings longer then a quick hour in the evening shouldn't be too impactive. I would have to bring my little boy as would others in my position but without deviating too far from him he should be happy enough while I train.

- I would like us dads to meet at least three times a week. This would allow for a greater opportunity for improvement. There could be an incentive eg, greatest weight loss, best pb improvement or even a long term goal. Lets say, a single dads calender. I have a friend who is a remarkable amateur photographer. If we could create a calender and sell it online or through an outlet with proceeds going to a relevant charity (Testicular Cancer Research/ Fathers 4 Justice/ Shelter etc) then this would give an incentive to get fit. Plus, if each "Dad of the Month" had a profile with a contact address then it may be very advantageous in getting back on the dating scene.

- Now this is all pitched towards single fathers in a similar position to myself but it wouldn't be exclusively for them. However, apart from offering a fitness gain the whole intention of the "club" is to bring people in a similar position together, building a local support network and bringing numerous skills/ experiences to the table. For example, with a backgound in law I can offer "informal" advice in certain circumstances; others could no doubt offer much more. I have never felt more alone as I do now. Since the divorce I relocated quite a distance from my family home where I grew up. I still see friends but it's very awkward to get down there with my son. I want to form the club to combat this isolation. In addition with the link between exercise combatting depression this could be rewarding on several levels.

I just want to find out if anyone would be interested in meeting up for the "fitness club" in the Bolton area. The venue could be flexible. This idea is in it's infancy but if we get enough interest then this could take off. The intention would be to garner interest and then promote the club locally or using specific magazines as an outlet.

Please let me know what you think either on this thread or via PM. It's just an idea to bring people together who are in a similar position with the hope of offering some improvement to their lives.

Thanks

Duncan