What more do I love than fitness? My family getting fit together! My two munchkins are the reason I make fitness a priority. I not only want them to see me taking care of myself, but I also want them to know that it is what we do as a family.
Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by BOSU. We truly appreciate all of the brands that support the Sweat Pink community.
Whether it is playing at the playground, going on runs as a family, riding bikes, setting up obstacles in our backyard, or my munchkins joining me for a workout, we make fitness a priority at our house. In addition to these things, here are FIVE more ways to get fit with your family:
1. Let them choose your exercise
I have used this method multiple times and kids of all ages love it. Grab some index cards and write down the exercises. Let your munchkin (big or little) draw the card. The big kids like to try and read the words and the preschoolers like to identify the letters. Another option is have them draw a number or roll dice to determine how many reps to do. The kids love the counting option.
2. Have them be your timer
This is a kid favorite. You plank, push-up, do overhead lunges, or any exercise and they get to be the timer. I don’t mean stand there and time you. They get to be active too. You can’t stop until they get back. Have them run to the fence, touch it and come back or run around the tree. Make sure you set their destination that will be long enough for you to get in a good number of reps.
3. Use them as a Weight
Plan and simple. If you have a little one this is a littler easier, but can be down with the bigger kids too. When you have a bigger kid they have to work their balance and core as you are lifting them.
4. Allow them to join you
My munchkin loves to join in on my workouts and I am sure yours will too! Show them how to do it using their terminology. When showing a jumping jack, make it slower. Tell them to be a “star”, then a “soldier”. Once they get that down, speed it up. If it is compound exercise, make them only do part. Here I am doing a tricep dip with a leg lift; just test their balance with the leg lift.
5. Partner Exercises
While you are squatting, clap your hands with your munchkin. Have them try holding a plank while you do lateral leaps over them (be careful). You do one push-up they do one jumping jack and keep going until you get to 10 or 20 or say the whole entire alphabet. This is a great way for your kids to learn to count, say their abcs or learn letter sounds.
Too old for counting or the alphabet? No problem. Make them do a multiplication problem or spell out a tough word while you are doing the exercise. The options are endless!
In addition to these ways, my munchkin has loved getting fit alongside me using her very own BOSU balance trainer. She loves to practice her “animal moves” on this: fly like a bird, hop like a frog, and stand like a flamingo. It has really helped with her large motor skills and she thinks she is awesome working out with mommy.
You can do this with your munchkins too! Whether you have a BOSU or not, take this week and make getting fit with your family a priority.
Your turn- tell me!
What is your favorite way to get fit with your family?
How do you make fitness a priority for your whole family.
The pictures of your kids working out are absolutely adorable. Way to start their healthy lifestyles early on!
Super cute I love it!! Your kiddos look like they are having a blast
kids look like they are having fun!! I’m a single gal so fitness is all on me 🙂
Cute post! Looks like your little is having a blast!
Looks like fun and what a great example you are setting for your kids! I mean munchkins!
Making fitness fun is the key and your kiddos look like they’re having a great time!
What a great idea to get your kids on the bosu! Looks like everyone had a great time 🙂
The Bosu is a family favorite here too. What a great role model you are for your kids!
LOL! Once upon a time, I used to be able to airplane my son. And I would do squats with him, because why not? But those days are LONG gone!
However, we do love riding bikes together, and he has suddenly gotten very excited about mile long runs, so we are encouraging the heck out of that!
So cute! My kids are a lot older, but my husband and I run “together” at a fun run on Wednesday nights. (He’s way faster than me LOL)
So cute! My boys are loving the bosu! Too bad mine are too heavy to use as weights!!
Your kids look like they had a blast while working out with you. Of course the more fun you make it, the more they’ll want to do it. 🙂
Your kiddies are the cutest thing. Mine are of the age they think they are athletes now or want to be so they watch what I do when I exercise and then mimic me. It’s all good though. I love my Bosu too!!! Had one for YEARS and my trainer taught me some pretty cool exercise moves with them to really train my core.
Love this campaign! Anything that involves family and fitness is awesome in my book.
So much fun working out with your kids! I can’t wait to see all the Instagram posts this week!
My daughter loves practicing her “animal moves” too. Her favorite? FLYING SQUIRREL!
OMG, this is TOO CUTE! I love that you get your kids working out with you – looks like so much fun!
The hope is that they always love it!