Getting fit is not limited by age. As busy moms, we have to make sure that we set aside some time for exercise. And what better way to make exercising fun than by getting the kids into the fitness activity too. You do not have to be too serious and strict with your exercise routines. What is important is that you get your heart pumping at the right speed to give it a good workout.
Let your kids’ energy infect you with the stamina that you need for about an hour’s worth of fun and exercise several times in a week.
Table of Contents
Routine
Ideally, fun and exercise for moms and kids should be done every day. This could be as simple as taking the dog (or cat) out for walk and perhaps playing fetch in the park. Or, you can have an exercise routine that you and your kid can go through together. It does not have to be complicated. You can go with the exercises that your kid is familiar with like jumping jacks and toe touches. Stretch your limbs to warm up your muscles and get ready for your routine. You can slowly pick up the pace and do your more active exercises.
Jumping rope can be a part of your workout – have fun racing with your kid and seeing who can do 100 jumps faster. You can also do hula hoops. There are actually hoops that are weighted to give you added resistance as you spin it around your waist. You’ll be sure to whittle down your waist line when you do this exercise every day.
Forest Bathing
Being around trees, which could mean walking or hiking in areas where trees are abundant is another way to bond with kids and relax at the same time. In Japan, this is called Shinrin Yoku (forest bathing), or “absorbing the forest atmosphere.” The idea encourages people to simply spend time in nature, as green is calming color, it positively affects us visually and mentally.
Inexpensive
Getting fit and exercising with your kids in simple ways is a great and inexpensive way to bond with them. It also conveys a strong message to about the value that you put in maintaining good health and having clean fun. Such moments are also being deposited into their memory banks. Even when you just see a caterpillar, meet a squirrel, discover mushrooms, these are little things that they will have fond memories of.
If there’s a park near you, you can also go about following the ducks, climbing up the nets, even making use of outdoor exercise machines. Playground equipment (swing, slide, seesaw) for kids are good for their motor skills, and you can also join in on the fun at the parkour area or play football with all them kids.
Indoor Fitness
When the weather isn’t so conducive for a walk or outdoor play, indoor exercises can come in handy.
You can do these exercises even if you only have a yoga mat as fitness equipment. You can use a towel too if you don’t have a yoga mat.
If you can, buy some gears that can help tone your muscles.
Touching toes and jumping jacks can of course be done indoor too. So you can continue your routine with your kids. If you feel like it’s getting boring, you can follow Zumba dance steps or other dance genre that youtube surely has a lot of!
And if you are too tired to do more exercises, Legs–up-the-wall can actually calm your nerves and make you feel better. Do this with your kids often and talk about anything under the sun, you can both relax and enjoy each other’s company over stories that can be added to their memory banks.
Super guilty ako dito. I seldom forgot to spend time with them. I mean, after prioritizing them through the means of feeding and take them to bath… I’d go work. I dont have time to be with them, play with them like what should be. Anyway, Im adjusting though. hopefully, magawa ko.
We all do tend to spend more time doing work than playing, it’s ok. You can incorporate some more bonding time in the days to come. ^_^
Children can be a handful and if you’re not fit you’ll easily get tired running after them.
This is true also! 😀 ^_^