DoD photo by Marine Sgt. Cassandra Flowers
Working out when you have little kids can be difficult, once you do find the energy to do so, your children seem to have completely other ideas about how you should spend your day.
Exercise is essential for everybody, but including your children has so many benefits that span beyond getting fitter. It can help prevent obesity, improve their concentration at school, and increase strength in bones and muscle. Not to mention, you might help them find their talent or hobby.
You more than likely know the importance of exercise, but when you have children, it can seem like an impossible luxury. How can you work out when you have 500 other things to do? One thing is true, you will have to shake up your workout routines, but that doesn't make it impossible to tone up or lose weight.
Here are our tried and trusted ways to incorporate your children into your exercise routine, to help you get the results you want.
1. Game time
Little children would get super bored with a structured routine, making your existing schedule completely impossible to follow.
The best way to make them interested is by making everything into a game. This could be anything from making it into a competition, or just a fun, non-competitive game where they can win points for TV time or pocket money.
This could be as simple as hula hooping, races or obstacle courses. You could get your exercise in by teaching them or joining in with them.
Also, you can use apps that are specifically designed to make exercise fun.
2. Workout in a park
Loads of people get their daily dose of exercise in at a park. The beauty of this is that you can keep an eye on your children while they play, and you can get in a quick 10-minute workout, at the very.
Take your yoga mat, blast out your favorite routine, and let your children have their own little adventures and exercise on the jungle gym.
"If you're a little bit nervous about this, you could try and get other parents involved. They could work out with you to make you a little more comfortable, or some can take turns to watch the children more closely.” — Jessica McCoy, Senior Writer at TopWritersReview.
3. Dancing
This is something that adults and children can get on board with. Dancing is so much fun, and can really make you work up a sweat.
Download a high-intensity playlist (child-friendly) and start your very own dance party. Again, you can download apps, or even watch YouTube videos to guide you through some of the moves.
You don't even need a big space to do this, just your living room or garden will do the job perfectly.
Giving your kids some autonomy with the dance moves, letting them help put together your routine will keep them super interested.
4. Use them as weights
This might sound a little strange, but it's actually quite a common trend. Using your little kids as weights to help build up muscle and keep them entertained is a really great idea.
It's really the perfect theory. As they get older, they will get bigger and make your workouts more intense. This will happen until they're a little bit older and you will have more free time to use actual weights or go to the gym.
Believe it or not, many parents actually follow this rule.
5. Swimming
Little kids need to go to swimming lessons, it's a necessary skill to have in life. You can book them into swimming lessons while you tackle some laps in yourself.
Alternatively, you can be your children's swimming teacher. It might not be as intense, but you will get a workout in, and teach your children some valuable skills.
As their swimming ability improves, you'll get a better workout in, too.
6. Schedule exercise breaks
This is an exciting one. When a commercial break pops up on TV, you can all do 30 jumping jacks. Just little things like that. Your kids will honestly find it really fun, and you'll also get a 2-minute workout in.
You might think 2 minutes here and there throughout the day is futile, but it will make a big difference. Don't believe us? Try it for a couple of weeks and see how much your energy improves, and your body changes.
Doing these exercises with your children will make you a wonderful mentor, while also helping you. This is definitely a mutually beneficial situation.
7. An exercise program
You might already have a chore calendar, well, why not an exercise schedule?
This can work in a similar way; you can give them pocket money or rewards for exercising - this will allow them to grow up already knowing the benefits of exercise.
How does this help you? The exercise calendar will always involve you. For example, say you have two children. Your calendar states that one exercises every Monday and Friday. The other is exercising every Wednesday and Saturday. That means you'll be exercising 4 times a week, with them.
This is also an excellent bonding time.
We hope these little hints and tips will help to make exercise with your kids easy and fun. It can be hard to show your children the importance of exercise while maintaining your own health.
Not only will games and reward systems teach your little kids an early understanding of how important exercise really is, but you'll also be able to reap the benefits.