They wake up at 4:45 every morning and roll out of bed. First up: obstacle course training.

Well, OK, thats not entirely true. On rest days, they get up at 5:15 a.m.

An Army barracks? Not even close. Meet the Myles family: Kjirsti and Nick, and young sons Liam, 8, and Bennett, 5.

Whereas most of us might be barely open-eyed by 7 a.m. with cup of coffee in hand, the Myles family has completed their workout and gotten ready for the day ahead. And when they finally come home after a long day of school or work as physical therapists? Its time for the family to go in the backyard for another workout.

This is what a typical day in the Myles family looks like. They face the same hectic schedules and responsibilities that most families encounter, but they work toward tackling the feats of a healthy lifestyle the same way they handle everything else together.

Kjirsti and Nick Myles have been interested in health and fitness all of their lives. They both grew up involved in athletics, and they always stayed in shape throughout their time in college and graduate school.

Kjirsti laces up near a list of daily exercises. (Photo by Ted Fitzgerald/The Pilot)

But eight years ago, when the Myleses had their first child, Liam, everything changed.

Liam was born prematurely and spent his first month in the neonatal intensive care unit. When the couple finally brought him home, they discovered the realities of having a child with hyperactivity and an underdeveloped nervous system.

He woke up at 4:30 every morning, and we were like, Well, were up. Hes not going back to sleep, Kjirsti Myles said, so we would feed him and head out for a run at 5 in the morning, and then Nick would go to work. It just became part of our routine, and he thrived off it, and that became our normal.

From that point forward, giving Liam and two years later, second son, Bennett the best life they could provide became the Myleses central focus.

The consistent structure of daily workouts has paid off in numerous aspects of Liams life.

Hes just finishing up second grade, and this past year, reading has been a large component of what hes had to do, Myles said. Having an immature nervous system really affects your focus and your attention. Through what we do in our activities, he can better attend, and he can better focus. Its really carried over to him doing well in school.

(Photo by Ted Fitzgerald/The Pilot)

The Myleses now maintain the same workout schedule, but they modify the specific activities that they perform each week. They complete morning workouts six days a week, as well as additional evening workouts three days a week. Most of their workouts only last 20 or 30 minutes. Fridays are considered their rest days, but that doesnt mean they consider it an opportunity for leisure.

Rest days are all relative, Myles said. We still get up at 5:15. We still put sheets on the beds. I think when you have kids, there is no rest. This is what we signed up for.

The Myleses developed a homemade obstacle course in their backyard so they could train for obstacle course races without having to spend extensive amounts of time at the gym, away from their children. Gradually, the kids became more involved in the obstacle course training.

As the children have gotten older, weve now brought them into it, Myles said. Now its not so much about our health and our fitness and our sanity and our outlet. Theyve now become a part of that too.

Obstacle course racing gives Liam and Bennett the opportunity to pursue extracurricular activities that may be much different than those of their classmates at school.

Its a good outlet for them to get their energy out in a positive way, Nick Myles said. I think one of the big positives is that they want to go outside, they want to play, they want to do our obstacle course instead of playing video games or watching TV.

Spartan Race and Rugged Maniac are two races that the Myleses compete in regularly. Last year, Liam did his second kids Spartan Race, and Bennett did his first. As soon as they got their first taste of competitive obstacle course racing, Liam and Bennett couldnt stop asking about when they would get to experience it again.

When we go to races, were each others coaches and cheerleaders, Kjirsti Myles said. I think that means a lot at the end of the day, to want to push each other, do better and be better. Just being able to say to each other, Come on; you got it. You can do it. I think that helps a lot, and I think it makes you stick with it.

I think thats what pushes me, she said, just the fact that I like seeing my family achieve their goals, and that I can help motivate them to do that, I think is what motivates me. For us, signing up for something and having to train for something, it becomes a motivation for us to stay active and stay doing it and have a goal and a purpose, and our children are just a part of all of that.

(Photo by Ted Fitzgerald/The Pilot)

Day in and day out, Kjirsti and Nick Myles work to embody the values of health and fitness that they share with clients at their respective physical therapy jobs. He works at Kinetic Institute Physical Therapy in Sanford, while she is at Pediatric Developmental Therapy in Southern Pines.

With what I do in pediatrics, the same concepts apply, Kjirsti Myles said. Everything I do all day long with all these other kids, I feel like we really practice what we preach. Were telling other people to do it, and were showing that its actually possible.

Not only do the Myleses stick to a consistent training schedule, but they also make sure to prioritize nutrition and healthy eating at all times.

Our kids dont know what McDonalds is; theyve never been to a McDonalds, Myles said. We pack all of our lunches. They bring all of their lunches to school, and we always make sure that its a fruit and a vegetable.

We incorporate the kids into our meal planning and cooking too, she added. We let them go to the store each week and pick out which vegetables they want, or we might make some protein bars, and one of them will be at the counter mixing it up.

They insist that consistently sticking to a healthy diet is not as hard as its often made out to be.

I dont know that theres any challenges with it, Kjirsti Myles said. I think weve really gotten efficient at prepping meals and planning ahead. We create a plan every weekend for the week, because the last thing we want to do is come home and spend time in the kitchen making a healthy dinner. Weve already had it ready to go. We keep it really simple, but its still good.

The Myleses also try to incorporate their healthy lifestyle beyond their workout schedule and meal planning. Each year, the family chooses what they describe as a very random New Years resolution and resolve to stick to it. They target a resolution that will leave a lasting impact on their community.

(Photo by Ted Fitzgerald/The Pilot)

In 2015, the Myleses signed on to their years resolution, but with a hitch: It would require a four-year commitment. They decided to adopt two stretches of highway along McCaskill Road in Carthage.

It started out as us just taking a walk with our dogs and our kids and cleaning up along our road anyway, Myles said. We would just end up with piles of trash that would fill five or six bags. So thats how it all started; we were already doing it, so I thought they should just mark us down and make it official.

Three years later, the Myleses are still upholding their commitment to take care of their share of the community. However, like anything else, they do it in their own unique way. They turn it into a workout

What well do is well actually run the pickup, Myles said, and we know Liam needs to do heavy work, so we got the wagon and let him pull it.

We get a workout, and the road gets clean. We tell our kids that sometimes they have to be willing to do more because people arent willing to step up, so we want them to know they have to step up.

In an effort to further broaden the impact that their lifestyle can have on others, the Myles uploaded their first post on their blog, MylesMania.com, earlier this year. Their blog chronicles experiences with pursuing a healthy lifestyle as well as the multiple facets involved in competing in elite obstacle course racing events.

However, the transition to creating online content for readers was not a seamless one for the Myleses. They credit one of their neighbors, Lara Herbert, for giving them the push to share their story with the online world.

Once we kind of started it, I think it kind of showed me that even if I can inspire one person to live a healthier lifestyle, its worth it, Nick Myles said. Plus, weve kind of been doing that the whole time at work. Ive just never thought of it like that.

If I can even just inspire someone to live a healthier life while enjoying it with their family and their kids, then that would be all worth it in the end.

Medals hang in the garage from various races an competitions. (Photo by Ted Fitzgerald/The Pilot)

The Myleses firmly insist that any family who wants to pursue a collective healthy lifestyle can manage it with the right mindset.

Anybody can do it, Myles said. Even if youre getting in a 20-minute workout a day, that would be a small start. I think you have to want to make a change.

I remember when we first started, she would get me up at 4:30 to work out in the morning, and the first week I was into it. But by the third week, I was tired and didnt want to get up. Now, its just what time we get up in the morning.

Its all about one thing at a time, Kjirsti Myles said. Its about starting small and making simple little changes.

And theyre quick to emphasize that decisions to pursue health and fitness have nothing to do with physical appearance and arent intended to be any kind of quick, temporary fix for unhealthy choices.

I think its a lifestyle, Myles said. I dont think, Oh, its bathing suit season, Ive gotta get on a diet. Its all-year-round, and its not about weighing a certain amount or fitting into a certain dress or pants or anything like that. Its just about being healthy.

Kjirsti and Nick Myles believe that their dedication to teaching their kids the importance of a healthy lifestyle through obstacle course racing will provide their children with the skills and character necessary to tackle any challenges that come their way later in life.

I really like all of the functional obstacle training because its a challenge against yourself, Nick Myles said. Pushing a little harder, trying to go a little faster and not because Im trying to beat anybody.

Im teaching my kids to push themselves and to try to challenge those obstacles and beat those obstacles because if you can beat those obstacles on the course, really it teaches you to challenge those obstacles in life and to try to be your best and never be satisfied.

Read more here:
For Myles Family, Healthy Lifestyle Is No Obstacle - Southern Pines Pilot