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Exercising WITH Kids

So, you cannot get away from you baby or kids for a quick jog around the block, your gym (what gym?!) doesn’t have daycare, the kids are too young to keep up with your stride, your husband is away, its too cold/hot outside.. no more excuses! Even if you do regularly get timeout, by deciding to exercise with your kids, you are enriching your parent/child relationship, by spending time bonding and teaching them the value of staying active and healthy.

The health experts say kids need at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day while us adults should exercise at least 30 minutes 3 times a week. But junior gets all the exercise she/he needs jumping, running, playing and climbing during a childs normal routine, and we run circles around them. No wonder why we are exhausted! But, those circles are not keeping tums and bums slim, and our mind/body machine very well oiled. We all know staying fit is real good for our bodies, our minds, our moods, releases those feel good hormones, but the icing on the cake for us busy moms, is that exercising give you MORE energy! More energy is probably second only to more time on every parents wish list.

Easy exercises you can do WITH your tots:

Swimming - perfect summer activity for the whole family!
Yoga – yoga is so hot right now, so you’ll not only be a good, fit mom, but cool too! Try Yoga Mommies: Mommy & Baby Yoga dvd. Toddlers will have a great time stretching and rolling with you to the Baby and Toddler Yoga dvd. See more on practicing yoga
Skipping: an excellent way to keep fit anywhere, anytime. Great for hips, thighs, and bums!
Invest in an all-terrain, 3-wheeled push chair for cross-country walks or running
Get a bicycle with a bike trailer or basket

Exercise you can do during juniors nap:

Pilates book or DVD for strength and flexibility. Jennifer Gianni’s Fusion Pilates – Exercise with Baby and also Pilates for moms for mums that have just had babies, and session 2 for those of us who had ours some time back
Stretching, Crunches, hand weights, resistance bands
Stationary bicycle: should have safety features such as chain guard and solid front wheel to protect tiny fingers, make sure its stable & comfortable

Tips for Successfully incorporating exercise into your family routine:

Find a fitness partner to keep motivated: find another mom to workout with, and you can keep each other motivated, and the kids can play together too
Set an achievable goal to work towards
Ease into a new routine, and it will soon become a lifestyle - it doesn't need to be painful! If you're still afraid of blood, sweat & tears, read up on the benefits of Relaxing Exercise.