Guest Blog: Tips For Incorporating Your Kids Into Your Workout

As any parent knows, there are never enough hours in the day. There’s hardly enough time to finish everything involving work and family, let alone getting in some work out time. Unfortunately, without exercise, we are putting our health at risk.

Since no parent wants to risk being unhealthy, especially when you have children you want to see grow up, why not try to involve your own kids in your exercise routine? Not only are you reaping the benefits of working out, you also are teaching your children a healthy lifestyle.

Dance Session

Kids hate feeling like they’re being forced to exercise, so why not make the work out a bit more fun with a dance session? Dancing is the perfect way to integrate cardio with the fun of music. You can put on your children’s favorite artists and albums so they have a vested interest in the workout.

Hula Hoop

There’s something that’s both fun and challenging about a hula hoop. When you’re first starting out, it seems impossible to get the hoop to go around your hips more than 3 or 4 times, but as you become more experienced, you get used to it. Weighted hoops have recently become all the rage in exercising and weight loss. You and your kids can even hold contests to see who can hula hoop the longest. That’s one competition where everybody’s a winner.

Jump Rope

 A jump rope is one of those rare pieces of exercise equipment that can be used individually or as a group. You can get a rope for everybody in the family and try to jump in unison. Or, you can have two people swing the rope while the third jumps in the middle. It can make exercising feel like a team effort.

Pool Games and Swimming

The swimming pool is an endless resource for fun ways to exercise. You can go the straightforward route and do laps in the pool, which is considered one of the best ways to work out your whole body. If that doesn’t really spark an interest for the kids, you can play a myriad of games in the pool. Water volleyball, Marco Polo and tag are just a few of the ways to include the water in your exercise.

Running With The Stroller

If you have young children, including toddlers and babies, they likely aren’t ready for the sort of exercise that you need to make a difference in your personal health. In order to keep your children with you while exercising, you can put them in the stroller and take it with you while you walk, jog or run. This can be exciting for the children because they feel like they’re on a ride. Plus, they’re getting stimulus from the outside world.

Create An Obstacle Course

Adding the element of competition to an exercise is a great way to keep your kids invested in the workout. An obstacle course can create the perfect balance between exercise and a game. You can create a course at the park or in your backyard using whatever is available. It can be as easy as running around a tree four times before hopping on one foot to a rock, which you jump over to the finish line. You can include as many types of exercises as you want. 

Even though being a parent can sometimes be overwhelming, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the essential parts of life, especially when it comes to staying healthy. As long as you’re willing to include your children into your workouts, you can be well on your way to getting fit and healthy.

Virginia Cunningham is a writer for Northwest and a yoga enthusiast whose writing covers everything on personal health and fitness and alternative medicine and therapies. During her yoga sessions each morning, she encourages her children to join her, which they often do!

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter