As busy parents, we are always pressed for time. With the amount of commitments and kids we juggle, the days are seemingly endless, yet somehow there are never enough hours to accomplish everything.
Exercise can easily take a backseat if we are not careful, but here are some ways to sneak in a little movement every single day.
Make Yard Work and Housework Work for You
Raking leaves, washing the kitchen floor, hauling laundry up and down from the basement, and washing the car all count toward burning calories. When you can’t get to the gym, you can still count these activities as better than being sedentary.
Run Errands on Your Bike
If you live in a hospitable climate through the fall and winter months, why not tote your toddler in a baby seat on your bike to return library books and pick up that one grocery store item you need for dinner? Wear a backpack or invest in a small basket for the front of your bike for easy transport of items. Pedaling will allow you to save on gas and boast great legs. Check out Performance Bike for child seats and trailers for your little one
Walk To School
Skip the car and get moving first thing in the morning. Choose a few days a week to walk the kids to school rather than driving them. Instead of carpooling, enlist a few neighbors and start a “walkpool”; the kids will love the novelty of “picking up” friends along the way. Power walk or run home after the kids are deposited at school.
Join or Start a Running Club
Check to see if your elementary school has a running club. Many schools offer pre-school running club hours when kids can walk or run around the field first thing. This is an excellent way for little students to vent pent up energy before sitting in the classroom all morning before lunch break. Offer to help supervise the running club a few mornings a week and walk the perimeter with them. Ask if your school can offer incentives for laps and miles walked.
Take Advantage of After School Sports
If your kids are in an organized sport after school hours, use that time to your active advantage. Run laps around the soccer field while they are running back and forth with their soccer team, or climb up and down the bleachers at football practice. Claim a lane at swim practice and swim laps while your kids are at swim workout.
Play With Your Kids
We often forget this one in the haze of a crazy day, but throwing a football or bouncing on the trampoline with the kids is a fun way to torch calories, too. Get outside with them and get moving by kicking a soccer ball around or riding bikes through the neighborhood. Start a snowball fight and run around your yard’s winter wonderland. You will feel great and your kids will love the quality time spent together.
Exercise doesn’t have to mean the same routine from day to day. Life as a parent is busy, but with some creative imagination, you can sneak in some activity for yourself along the way.
