If you’ve ever tried to work out with your kids running around, you know how frustrating that can be.
If your kids are anything like mine, they think that’s the best time to jump on Mommy or Daddy, demand some attention, fight with each other, or do just about anything to distract from the workout at hand. Most days when I’ve attempted a workout in these kind of conditions, I feel like I never really got into the zone nor got a good workout.
Why You Should Work Out with Your Kids
As frustrating as it can be, you’re doing two really important things for yourself and for your kids when you work out with them around. First, you’re modeling healthy behaviors for your kids. It’s important for their long-term health to value (and enjoy) physical activity and you are the best person to teach them that. If you value it – they will too.
Second, you’re working on your relationship with your kids! If they aren’t doing the workout with you, they’re learning to respect your time to exercise. And if they are doing the workout with you, you’re doing an activity as a family! Not only will that bring you closer for the long-haul, but that builds confidence in your kids, improves their communication skills, and you share the benefits of being healthy and happy!
Try to get your kids involved in your exercise even just once or twice a week so you can enjoy all these benefits. It takes some patience and practice, but the payoff is amazing! Don’t be afraid to get creative. Here are 7 ideas to get you started:
1. 10 minutes of activity every hour
I love to break up the sitting in our house by trying to spend at least 10 minutes each hour moving. Obviously, kids are pretty active so that’s not too hard for them, but some days we can get pretty lazy so it’s fun to do ANY activity to mix things up! This is a great option to get your kids involved with helping you find something fun that involves moving. Play a game of Simon-Says or Tag – let the kids lead this one if you aren’t sure what to do!
2. Break workout into segments
You can divide your workout and do it throughout the day. For example, if you have a strength workout, you can do one set of all the exercises (circuit-style) and then pause to attend to kids or whatever else you need to do, then do another set a little while later. Or you could do all your sets for half the exercises then do the other half later. As long as you’re active for at least 10 minutes at a time, you’ll see similar results compared to doing your complete workout at one time!
3. 1 set + 1 round of tag
Similar to breaking your workout into segments, this one is good if you are really trying to get your heart rate up and get a continuous workout in. Do one set of your circuit, then play a quick round of tag with the kids! We do this running around our couch in the living room (and it’s a great way to get the kids to pick up their toys so you aren’t running through a mine field!).
4. Playground + Workout or Laps
I love this option for days when the kids need to burn off some extra energy and I’m looking to get some cardio in! We go to the playground and I set a timer for 10 minutes then go play with the kids. When the timer goes off we load the baby into the stroller and my four-year-old walks with me (or slow-jogs) for one lap around the park. If you have a double jogging stroller you could even run your laps if that’s your thing. You could easily do one set of a workout instead. Then we go back to playing for 10 minutes and repeat!
Want to read more about returning to exercise after having a baby? Read 5 Tips for Working Out with a Newborn.
5. Playground Tag-Team
This option only works if you have another adult to help but it’s a great way to get some family time plus some uninterrupted workout time. Hubs and I will take the kids to the playground and take turns playing with the kids and running laps. This gets the kids plenty of play time and Mom and Dad can get a pretty solid cardio session in!
6. Rise & Shine Yoga with the kids
I love yoga in the morning to get me moving for the day, especially when I’m super stiff. While the kids aren’t yoga pros, they think it’s loads of fun to try out their own poses alongside Mom. I encourage them to do whatever movements they feel their bodies might need. Even if we only do 10 minutes, we all start the day in a good mood and feel great!
7. Use the kids as your weights
I’ll try to make strength workouts fun for my kids by using them as my weights. This doesn’t usually turn out to be a complete workout for me but if I do it at the end of a workout or as a way to break up time spent sitting, it’s a fun challenge for me! Plus it exposes the kids to a variety of strength exercises and shows them how important strength training is!