Exercise! You either love it or hate it. Well, it doesn't have to be all about "no pain, no gain." It can really be fun when it is a family affair! Writer Kathleen M Reilly shares some tips from moms and fitness pros, including well-known fitness expert Denise Austin, about sharing exercise with your kids!
Exercise, fun?
Gather together the kids and the spouse, grab some athletic equipment, or even just a yard ball -- and get out there and exercise as a family. You'll share a great time, recharge your energy level and set your kids down the path to good health.
Even if your family is very young you can still rev up your energy and stay
fit together. After all, keeping up with the demands of very young children
is when you need your energy the most. And having older children and
teenagers can open up new opportunities for family fitness fun. So, grab
your sneakers and let's get moving!
Fitness with babies
After trying to workout at a gym,
while her daughter sat in the gym's childcare facility, Amy Longfellow, a North Carolina mom, says she felt guilty not including her baby in her exercise.
"So now I focus on
interval walking and mountain biking," Longfellow says. "I can take Emma Grace with me during both of these workouts as long there is a park visit at the end of Mommy's exercise."
A baby in a stroller or a backpack is the easiest way to find exercise for
you, and fresh air and change of scenery for your baby. "I like that she
sees me trying to stay fit, even though my definition of that has changed
since motherhood," Longfellow says. "I hope that she will inherit from me, like I inherited from my mother, a lifelong love of exercise."
Another way to squeeze in some fun fitness with your baby is to ditch the
barbells -- and pick up your baby instead! Holding your baby in your arms,
lift her over your head, encouraging eye contact (and probably eliciting
giggles, too). Laying on your back, you can lift your baby up over you,
too, working your arm muscles while bonding at the same time (just remember
to dodge that baby drool!). Dance with your baby. Let her sit on your
tummy and rest her back against your bent knees as you do peek-a-boo
sit-ups. Do push-ups as you hover over her, kissing her every time you
descend.
Your baby will love the physical contact and attention while you'll reap the
benefits of a happy baby -- and a good workout, too.
Toddlers on the move
And suddenly, they're off and running. And you're running after them. Who?
Toddlers, of course. Although sometimes you may think you've met your daily
exercise requirement just chasing after your toddler in his newly-discovered
independence, think again. How often do you stand still at the playground,
pushing your toddler on the swings, or sit on the bench with the other moms,
watching your child climb on the equipment?
Get up and join in the fun! All that brightly-colored equipment is sturdy,
too. Try doing chin-ups on the monkey bars (bonus points if you do them
while your toddler hangs on your shins!). Or calf raises on the edge of the
slides (while your child slides down between your legs). Or how about a
quick game of tag with your child around the equipment? Lift your child up
onto the equipment, stretch for him and bend as you lift him back to the
ground. Let your child try to stomp on your shadow as you dodge away.
Mindy Mylrea, fitness expert and mother of three boys, knows the power of
play. "Keep a ball in your car all the time," she suggests. In her video,
"Playground Training," Mylrea and her family demonstrate ball games (and more) that make a trip to the playground fun family fitness.
You may earn some raised eyebrows from the other parents sitting in their
chatting groups, but most likely their children will be running right along
beside yours, joining in your fun. Enjoy your play!
Playing with school-aged children
Denise Austin, fitness expert and mother of two, keeps her girls active
every day. "After the girls get home, they have a snack, do their homework,
and then we go outside," Austin says. "We get out in the yard and run
around."
On weekends, her husband joins in the fun. "The fun part is exercising as a
family," Austin says. "We ride bikes, play tennis or some kind of sport.
You're having fun, burning fat, everyone's getting healthy and getting
energy."
Mylrea agrees. One of her suggestions is to have older children choose the
game. It's fun for them to be in an important role and fun for you to be
able to relax and play someone else's game. You'd be surprised at the games
your children will dream up. Children in this age group have a wonderful
sense of play and adventure. They aren't quite as self-conscious as
teenagers and they love to be physical.
Teens and family fitness
While it's true that teens prefer to spend much of their time alone or with
peers, it doesn't mean family fitness is out of the picture altogether. Try
letting your teen choose a sport that interests them, and establish a
regular family outing, participating in the sport. Family tennis matches,
in-line skating or even jogging together are bonding and fun fitness
pursuits.
Try joining a gym club together, participating in local cardio classes or
hitting the local ice rink together. Arrange family reunions at a park
where a game of softball or volleyball can spontaneously begin.
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