I am all about easy exercises you can sneak in throughout your day. It can be really tough finding time to workout if you are taking care of kids, cooking dinner, working, etc.
My favorite way to add fitness to my day is to combine it with something else that you already have/want to do.
For example, take a look at my Football Fitness, a workout you can do while you are watching the game. Or, you can try my workout specifically for bloggers or people that can’t seem to part from the computer screen.
When you have kids, exercise often gets put on the back burner.
As W grows, the amount of time he sleeps (a.k.a. my free time) shrinks. I am currently holding on for dear life to W’s second nap as it slowly slips away from me.
On the other hand, if you are like Good Papa, after working all day you just want to get home and play with your child. Exercise is the last thing on your mind.
Well, you no longer have to push fitness aside.
Here are some exercises you can do with your kid(s).
*Note: W is a little too young to do some of these exercises with me, but he still had a blast watching me and playing around.
Exercises You Can Do with Your Kids
1. Jump rope: This is so easy and SO good for you. I mean, Rocky did it when he trained so it must be good, right? Pull your jump rope out and start jumping whenever you get a spare moment. Bonus: you can play limbo when you are finished jumping rope!
2. Hula Hoop: Who doesn’t like to hula hoop? It’s great for your abs. I’ll admit I’m not very good, but I can’t resist trying. W thought it was just the funniest thing!
3. Tag: It’s amazing how much fun you can have with such a simple game. When you are a kid you can run for hours and hours without even realizing you are exercising. Adults tend to turn exercise into such a chore. It doesn’t have to be. You can make your kid’s day playing tag with them and still free good about yourself.
4. Sports (basketball, tennis, soccer, etc.): The Good Papa does not like to run. Instead, he likes to play basketball to get his share of cardio. He will often take W out after work and shoot some hoops with him. W thinks it’s the best. He also gets the added difficulty level of trying to hold W in one arm while shooting the ball with the other.
5. Yoga: Kids love yoga. When I taught kindergarten, I would often use yoga if the children were getting particularly antsy. It helped calm them down and focus on the next activity. In fact, babies and kids are really good at yoga. They are so flexible and have the best posture! If you have a newborn, definitely look into Mommy & Me Yoga. W and I loved going to Wake Up Yoga in the Fairmount area of Philadelphia. It was relaxing and got me back in shape after W was born.
6. Dance: This is W’s favorite. His dancing usually consists of bouncing up and down and swinging his head back and forth. He absolutely loves it when I join in with him. I know eventually he is going to think I’m so weird for dancing around the house, so until then, I am going to dance away.
7. Stroller Strides: Unfortunately, stroller strides never really worked out for us since it was during nap time and W will only nap in his crib. The time I managed to get over there I really enjoyed myself. It was great to talk with other moms while getting a tough workout in. Find the closest stroller strides near you. Although, if you have a crazy baby like I do, then you can always check out my Stroller Ab Workout to do on your own time.
Do you exercise with your kid(s)? What are some of your favorite things to do with them? Let me know in the comment section below!
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These are great ideas! I like that it helps you stay in shape and you get great quality time with your kids. Everybody wins!
MaryKay- Thank you! I like multitasking!
I’m definitely looking forward to tag, although I’m certain I will be the kid who can’t catch anyone (flashback/nightmares of my youth)… I think hide and seek is more my speed haha
Melissa- Hide and seek is fun too! I think I have to agree though- you may have a difficult time catching Jane!
These are all great exercises! I have done all of these with the babies. During the winter we love to have Wii dance parties 🙂
XOXO
Mrs. AOK recently posted…Blogging Is Like Dating
Mrs. AOK- Yes, the Wii is great! I started with the yoga on the Wii and loved it so much I started doing actual yoga.
Working with a 14 month old, I think dance is my favorite option here. Music puts him in a really great move. He laughs when I dance…which is probably because I look ridiculous, ha ha. But overall, I just think it’s really fun to jump around and get silly to music. It also really helps put me in a good mood.
Lauren Tamm recently posted…5 Ways to Help your Child Value Good Character over Good Looks
Lauren- I love dancing too! Our children are the same age, so I guess they both really still like our dancing. I know eventually he’s going to think I’m so weird haha.
Great ideas! Stroller strides just seemed to take so much out of me, and it wasn’t within walking distance so it became a chore.
Now I just put my three year old and my 11 month old in the double stroller and take long walks. I think they both would love dance and tag!
Jen @ The Halfway Homemaker recently posted…Learning to Ask
Jen- Yes, stroller strides was also a bit of a hike for me too, so it was double the workout. I really though it was a great workout though. Walks are a great way to get some fitness in!
We play tag pretty much every day! It’s a good workout. I sometimes walk to or from school with my kids. It’s a good way to sneak in an extra mile or so into my day.
Melissa Matters recently posted…20 Cupcake-Worthy Parenting Moments
Melissa- That’s great that you play tag everyday! It’s amazing how tiring it can be chasing around the kids. That’s so nice that you can walk to your kids’ school. I would love that!
Hi great blog and exercise tips stopping by to show support from the #rattleandroll
Trina recently posted…Queen Of The Hill T-Shirt
Trina- Thanks for the comment and hosting #rattleandroll
We dance a lot at our house too. We used to play tag, but now I can’t run so fast with my big, pregnant belly, so my kids can outrun me! Sad day. . .
But it’s so much fun to exercise with the kids, and it teaches them to be healthy too.
Nicci recently posted…Potty Training under 2 years old
Nicci- Congrats on the pregnancy! It can definitely get difficult to run around with the belly. I agree, it’s nice to get kids used to exercise and make it fun.
These are great ideas! I never would’ve thought our silly dancing counted as exercise. My three year old loves yoga, and keeps telling us he needs a mat.
Visiting from the Rattles and Heels link up!
Tiffani G.- Silly dancing definitely counts, anything that gets you moving! You should totally get him a mat. You can get little kid yoga mats at My Custom Yoga Mat.
Getting exercise and getting to spend time with the kids – double win! My daughter loves soccer so kicking the ball around together gets us both moving.
Emma recently posted…Simple Apple Weaving
Emma- Soccer is such a great sport. It really gets you running around!
My kids are much older now but they all loved taking walks on nature trails and going to the nearby park. My boys still love wrestling with my husband and have yet to win. These are all perfect ideas for parents with younger kids.
Tamara recently posted…Keeping Your Kids in Affordable, Yet Stylish Clothes
Tamara- Walks on nature trails sounds like great exercise- fun too! haha, I’m sure my son will love wrestling with my husband too. They love playing together. Thanks for your comment.
Such great ideas! My daughter and I love having dance parties-and my son just started joining us recently. So much fun! I also introduced the hula hoop to my daughter this summer-she loved it. Still needs some work, but she had a blast. Haha!
Tarynn Playle recently posted…Cooking With My Little
Tarynn- Yes, that’ll be fun when my son can actually start exercising with me. He just laughed at me attempting to hula hoop. It’s difficult!
I used to dance all the time with my son when he was a baby and toddler. Now he’s a tween, so he’s not interested about dancing with me, at all, lol
Joanna Sormunen recently posted…Platanos Maduros Fritos or Fried Ripe Plantain Bananas
Joanna- I am afraid that’ll happen with my son. That’s why I’m taking advantage of this time while I can!
Great suggestions Tricia! Not only do these ideas keep you active, but they also allow you to spend quality time with your kids. Thanks for the encouragement to stay active and involved! 🙂
Nicole recently posted…Green Scene Mom Award
Nicole- Thanks! I love multitasking!
I love these ideas for keeping active! We do mommy and me yoga and I definitely enjoy the stretches!!
Ana recently posted…10 Halloween Movies for Little Kids (That Aren’t Scary)
Ana- Thank you. I LOVE mommy and me yoga. I was really sad when my son make a break for the door at our last class we attended.
If you have a swimming pool in your backyard, consider swimming together. It is definitely a good idea to have fun with kids and get some exercise.