Having a workout backup plan is one of the most important skills a busy dad can build, especially when real life doesn’t cooperate.
This week has been really windy where we’re at. Normally, my plan is simple. Get outside. Go for a walk. Get some fresh air. If it’s raining, you throw on a rain jacket. If it’s cold, you grab gloves and a heavier coat. Snow usually isn’t a big deal either. You can dress for those things.
Wind is different.
We’ve got a lot of trees around us, and when it gets windy, branches fall. Big ones. I’ve seen them come down close enough that it makes you stop and think. At that point, it’s not about discipline or pushing through discomfort. It’s a safety issue. And even if you’re in a wide open area, walking or running in heavy wind just isn’t very enjoyable.
So the outdoor plan didn’t happen.
Instead of forcing it, I went with a backup plan. A short workout inside. Nothing fancy. Just something that made sense for the situation. This could be the bike, treadmill, or anything you have available to you.
That’s a small example, but this shows up everywhere in real life, especially for dads.
You plan to work out in the morning, and one of your kids wakes up sick. You plan to work out at night, and bedtime drags on way longer than expected because someone won’t fall asleep. You finally sit down, look at the clock, and realize the window you had planned for yourself is gone.
This is where most people get stuck.
They don’t struggle because they don’t care. They struggle because they only have one plan. And when that plan falls apart, the whole day feels like a loss.
Progress doesn’t come from having the perfect schedule. It comes from being able to adjust without quitting.
The dads who make this work long term aren’t doing anything extreme. They’re not more motivated or more disciplined than everyone else. They’re just better at pivoting. They understand that some days won’t look the way they thought they would, and they’re okay with that.
Maybe that means doing a shorter workout instead of skipping it altogether. Maybe it means breaking your movement up into smaller chunks throughout the day. Maybe it means riding the bike inside instead of getting your steps outside. Maybe it means doing something quick and moving on.
It doesn’t have to be perfect to count.
Consistency isn’t about ideal conditions. It’s about having options when life does what life always does.
If your plan only works when everything goes right, it’s not a very good plan.
The goal isn’t to win every day. The goal is to keep momentum. To keep showing up. To avoid the all-or-nothing trap that leads to long stretches of doing nothing at all.
So here’s the question worth thinking about.
If your original plan falls apart, what’s your backup plan?
And if that backup plan doesn’t work, what’s your next best option?
When you have answers to those questions ahead of time, you stop relying on motivation and start relying on systems. And that’s when things actually begin to stick.
You don’t need to be flawless. You just need to be flexible.
That’s how you keep making progress.