Good morning! Now is the time of year where we really need tips to help us make fitness a priority. Last week I offered three tips for Exercising with Kids and today I am back for three more tips. Remember, all of these tips are great, but the first step is wanting it yourself. YOU, and only YOU, have to make a decision that you are going to make health and fitness a priority in your life and not let excuses deter you.
1. Let them join you- Those quick, short workouts I was talking about above are great for letting your kids join you. Teach them how to do a jumping jack, how to run in place, or do a plank. You can even find these weights for them to use. When I was a little kid I used to use the roll on deodorant bottles for weights. This is also a great time to for then to learn to count or sing ABC’s while doing a cardio exercise.
2. Find a fun destination- Make your workout a part of your plans with your munchkin. Do you plan to go to the park? How about you put the kids in the stroller and run or walk there. While you are there use the picnic bench to do some step-ups, triceps dips and decline push-ups. Throw a resistance band in the stroller too and get in a set of bicep curls, lat pull downs or shoulder presses between helping on the slide. Then walk or run back home. This makes it fun for all involved!
3. Give them an incentive- Make the workout fun for them too. Claire knows that if we are going out for a run or a stroller workout at the end she will get to get out of the stroller and “run” home. She loves this! Usually she likes to run and then stop half way to get in her “push-ups” just like Mommy does. At the gym she knows that once I pick her up from the Childwatch she gets to play on the indoor playground. This is also giving her some exercise.
The best gift you can give your children is the very best YOU! Making YOU a priority is the first step to this.
I am off to take my own advice: I have a gym with a good day care and I will get my workout in so I can be a good mom and wife the rest of the day. Teaching a class and a heavy lift is on my agenda today. Enjoy the day, fit friends!
I CANNOT wait to break out my BOB and run with the twins next season (too tiny this year before it got cold) and I love for them right now to watch me do various workouts-I think instilling HEALTH at a young age is great for them and their confidence overall as they grow…great post series!
The BOB is the best. I have a single and a double. I have the carseat attachment for mine so I could put Max and Claire in it when they were little. However, I am not sure you can put two carseats in the double 😉