I know how hard it can be finding time to exercise when you have a family. When your kids are young, it is especially hard. That’s been my experience, anyway. For a while, I would workout after my son went to bed at night. My newborn was perfectly content sitting nearby and watching me. My 5-month-old, however, is not a fan. Thus, family workouts were created. I’ve lost 10 pounds in the last month by focusing on moving around with my kids!
Exercise with Kids
There are so many activities you can do to get moving with young kids. My son is 2 and loves doing just about anything with me – he’ll even do the chores that I’m doing. So, getting him to run around with me or play a game is pretty easy. He loves it!
Probably my favorite exercise to do with my son is hopscotch! We love getting out the sidewalk chalk, so we have a good time making our course prior to putting it to the test. Sometimes we make it extra long so that it is a real challenge. His two-year-old self tends to have a lot more energy than I do, so he can go for longer than I can, anyway! Half an hour of hopscotch burns around 140 calories for someone of my size.
Playing ball with a toddler is another great way to get in some exercise. Catch, basketball, or even an intense game of monkey in the middle gets you moving! I know playing catch with a lot of toddlers is more like playing fetch – which, is great if you’re trying to burn calories! My little guy is a pro, though! I honestly think he is some kind of child sports prodigy. A half an hour of catch at my weight comes out to around 115 calories burned.
Playing a game of tag or having a race is another fun game to play with a toddler. Both of which can make you sweat and burn calories. Tag burns 160 in just half an hour! Clark, my toddler, also loves to “race.” Of course, his tiny little legs make races a bit unfair, so Mommy always has to run a bit farther than he does. Nonetheless, it’s fun and it wears both of us out!
Family Activities to Get You Moving
I would love to take my kids swimming a lot more often, but I’m too paranoid about having two kids and only one me when they don’t know how to swim. The obvious solution is to teach my babies how to swim, but that comes in time. Sidenote: I saw a 6-month-old learning how to swim on this video…it gave me serious anxiety when she went underwater, but she turned herself around and started to float! It was terrifying, but she was doing really well. So, with two babies and one me, I have to wait for my husband to be off work or someone else to go with us. Simply treading water can burn anywhere from 100 to 300 calories in a half an hour period.
Another great family activity to look into is riding bikes! There are a number of ways to bring your small children along with you – bike trailers and carriers are the most popular options. I can burn 270 calories in just 30 minutes of biking! An added benefit is the exposure to nature you are giving your kids!
A family walk is a simple activity to get in your daily steps. At a 20-minute mile pace, you can expect to burn 170 calories in a half an hour if you are around 200 pounds. A person weighing 150 pounds would burn 125 calories in 30 minutes. By taking your family with you, it is possible to burn a bit more, especially if you are carrying a child or pushing a stroller.
A visit to the park is another great way to get moving! Allowing your children the time to run around and play on equipment often offers parents the opportunity to follow them around. When I take Clark, my two-year-old, to the park, I am always within 12 feet of him, especially when he is running all around and there are strangers nearby. Call me paranoid again, I know! I don’t sit on the park benches because of that paranoia; it’s because of this that I keep moving while at the park. It is a great energy burner for all of us!
No matter which activity you decide on, getting out and getting moving is key! Granted, these kinds of exercise aren’t likely to prepare you for a 5k, but they will burn the calories you are looking to get rid of!
What types of activities do you do with your family to stay active? Let’s talk about it in the comments!