If there is one thing we all have in common when the summer started, is that we are all busy moms who likely feel there isn’t enough time in the day or week to do all.the.things.
So, how does a busy mama at home with the kids or at a day job find the time to exercise? Forget about exercising in the gym or making it to a fitness class.
Over this last month I’ve been sharing full body workouts you can do at home and posting on my Instagram how I’ve been exercising and staying active with the kids outside of the gym. Hopefully I’ve inspired you to get creative with ways to make play time into a little bit of exercise time!
But I wanted to give you more, so I reached out to some other wellness practitioner mamas and asked if they would share some of the ways they keep active with their kids this summer without hitting the gym.
So how do these busy mompreneurs do it?
How are they continuing to be busy this summer taking care of their kids yet still manage to find time to exercise and take care of themselves without hitting up the gym?
Here’s what the experts had to say:
This summer has been incredibly busy with home renovations, so our budget didn’t allow for a family vacation, but I still wanted to take full advantage of the weather and bond with our kids, simply by being active as a family. Whether we’re biking, swimming, dancing in the living room, spending the morning at a trampoline park (which left my legs sore for days!) or walking the family dog, we’ve been moving a lot and having a blast!
My 8-year-old in particular has been asking for lots of one on one time, so him and I have been spending quality time playing tennis and going for evening bike rides.
I was worried that a limited budget with no vacation, no cottage and no solid summer plans would mean less family time, but the joys of simply staying active together has created wonderful memories and I feel good knowing we’re setting a great foundation for a healthy life.
Wanda Matijczak is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist from Toronto and a mother of two who works with busy mamas, offering a realistic and refreshingly simple approach to holistic nutrition and self care. Find her on Instagram
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The easiest way to get fit with your children this summer without going to the gym is to squeeze a 30-45 min workout into your normal daily routine with the kids. I personally follow this piece of advice and find that it works for my family. Look at your schedule and see where you can fit in that workout. If fitting it in within one chunk of time isn’t feasible, then break it up into segments of 10 or 20 mins at a time throughout the day. Flexibility is key when home with your kids. Whether you are watching a movie at home or visiting the park you can make it a fit-astic time with your little ones.
Here are some tips to rock your workout this summer.
Going to the park? No problem! Grab a resistance band on the way out. For cardio, you can play tag with your kids. You can choose to speed walk or jog depending on where you are in your fitness journey. For a backup cardio idea try adding a fitness twist to games like “Simon Says” or “Follow The Leader”. Choose only fitness related instructions (ie “Simon says to do quick feet” or “Simon says to do jumping jacks”). You might be thinking it cannot be done with 2 or 3 kids but I challenge you to give it a try. Trust me, your kids will be so entertained. Even if you have a little one who isn’t walking, you can make it work by pushing them in the stroller or wearing them in the baby carrier during the games. Play a variety of these cardio inspired fitness games for 20-30 minutes.
Now it’s time for some resistance training. While your kids are playing in the park, do some simple exercises with the resistance band. Try alternating between working your upper and lower body (ie. Bicep Curls (3 sets of 15) followed by resistance band Squats (3 sets of 15)). If you have a baby with you feel free to put your baby in the stroller beside you or wear him/her if fussy. In my outdoor stroller fit classes we sing to the babies while working out when they are getting fussy. Works like a charm. Don’t forget to add 10 mins or more of stretching after your workout.
Stuck inside on a rainy day? Have a dance party with the kids or put on YouTube and find a kids workout that you can do with them (don’t forget to modify if you need to).
All danced out? Have a fitness competition. Kids love a good competition. See who can wall sit or do jumping jacks the longest. Have animal races. See who can bear crawl or frog jump across the room the fastest. Use a timer and don’t forgot to give all the racers a high five.
Did you know that even movies can be made into a fitness adventure? Try watching a fit movie. Put on your favorite family movie and do your full body workout while you watch it. That is what I call a multitasking fit mama.
Have you ever tried #fitchores? Grab a pair of dumbbells. You have to unload the dishwasher anyway so might as well make it count as fitness. Every time you pick up a dish out of the dishwasher to put away do a squat first and then alternative between a bicep curl and tricep extension.
If all else fails get support. Ask someone to watch the kids so you can get your workout on. Life with kids is unpredictable so don’t forget to give yourself grace.
There are so many ways to fit fitness into your daily routine with the kids whether indoors or out. Just be flexible and go with the flow. Look for opportunities to be active throughout your day and you are on your way to a healthy, active lifestyle with your children.
Alison helps pre and postnatal women strengthen their bodies, manage their weight, and gain more energy through fitness and fun. She offers In-Home Personal Training, Wellness Coaching, Virtual Training, and Postnatal Fitness Classes. Alison believes that all women should have access to safe yet effective exercises that support their bodies through the prenatal and postnatal stages of life. She empowers her clients by providing knowledge and resources to ensure that they all have access to a wealth of information and can make informed choices regarding their bodies. Alison holds a Bachelor Degree in Sociology, a Social Services Diploma, and is certified as a Personal Trainer, Wellness Coach, Core Confidence Specialist, and in Pre and Postnatal Exercise Design. She is also a wife and the mother of 2 busy boys as well as a lifelong learner. Learn more about her at www.alisoncoombs.com
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My favorite way to get in a workout when I’m home with the kiddos is to plan a park workout. My kids are still too little to bike or walk to the park, so I load them up in the wagon and definitely count that as my cardio warmup! I plan out the exercises I want to get in ahead of time and go into the workout with the mindset that my goal is just to get all of the reps in, regardless of the sequence or how long it takes me.
One of the frustrating parts about working out with kids is that things never go according to plan, right? Someone always needs their shoe tied, to be pushed on the swing, or taken to the bathroom. The more kids you add to the mix the more unpredictable things get! I use to feel frustrated if I got interrupted in the middle of a timed circuit, so now my goal is to just keep moving and get all the reps in before we leave.
My favorite park exercises include a variety of lunges, squats, pushups, rows on the playground equipment, dips, bench jumps, step-ups, planks, and mountain climbers. It’s always fun when other moms join me and say that I inspired them to get up from the bench and move their body!
I count the walk back as my second round of cardio and make sure to do some stretching when I get home. I feel good about myself not only because I got in a workout but because I had a specific plan and got all of those exercises in. As much as I love my gym workouts I know it’s important for my kids to see me exercising and taking care of my body.
Lindsay Young is a Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach and Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist living in sunny Southern California. She’s a wife, mama of 3, food enthusiast, and embracer of imperfection. Lindsay specializes in helping busy women develop a nutrition and lifestyle plan that fits into their real life, so they can gain health without losing their minds. She believes eating healthy can be simple, beautiful, and easy. Lindsay’s approach to wellness focuses on real food in a real-life context, helping her clients develop a modern approach to a healthy lifestyle that is sustainable and joyful, in their homes and out in the real world. She believes living well can mean eating chocolate and enjoying happy hour, learning to trust your body, and embracing food freedom. You can find her at www.lindsayliveswell.com
Conclusion
Thank you to these busy mompreneurs for sharing some of the fun and creative ways they get active and fit fitness into their day.
And thank you for reading all the way to the bottom. I hope this gives you inspiration and motivation to make some small adjustments to your day and add some spice to mundane playtime or house chores.
And if you’re looking for a little extra motivation and want to join a group fitness class with other like minded mamas and some babies and kids, you can still join in the fun with Strong Mom™ classes. Locations in Thornhill & Markham. Get the details here.
Over to you.
Share in the comments below or tag me on social media with the fun ways you keep active with the kids.
To fitness and fun this summer among all the chaos!
