Fit as a Family

As women many times we have a hard time finding time to exercise. We always think the night before; okay when the kids are napping tomorrow or when our spouse can watch them I will exercise. Then of course something comes up and now you find yourself not working out at all. As parents life is especially unpredictable and that’s why if we want to take care of our self we need to have a backup plan.

The best way to get your workout in is to plan it with your kids. It might not be a 10 km run, but something is better than nothing. Always plan to workout with your kids and if nap time works out then you can have your planned workout alone. This is also a great way to have fun and spend time with your kids. Who is guilty of doing dishes, cleaning and doing other chores instead of spending time with their kids? I know I am. Not that these things are not important, but so is spending time with your kids. It is a great way to show your kids that you are active and the importance of physical activity by being a role model.  To get yourself moving with kids try some of the below ideas:

• Go for a bike ride with your kids. Don’t own a bike, then put them on their bike and you get to jog.
• Kick the ball around in the back yard.
• Living room workout! Try doing some body weight exercises with them like squats, planks and lunges. They will have a blast!
• Dance it off! Pop in a dance DVD and follow along with your kids. Even if you get 20 minutes in that is great!
• Before bed do 5 yoga moves with deep breathing. It’s never too early to introduce them to yoga so make this a ritual every night. Maybe they will sleep better!

Exercising together is a great way to spend time with your kids, teach them the importance of physical activity and for everyone to get their activity in!