Being a parent is one of the hardest jobs there is, it is 24 hours a day and 7 days a week and whatever age your children are they’ll always be doing something to keep you busy. This can leave you with very little ‘you time’ let alone time for you to work on your fitness and controlling your weight. It is a problem faced by many parents both male and female as children have the habit of draining all energy that might have been used to keep fit. However there is a way that looking after the kids and exercise can combine.
Exercise is a surprisingly important factor of growing up, it is important that you not only raise children in a healthy way but, it is also important that you set a good example. Children look up to parents as role models so it is vital you pass on a healthy attitude to exercise and teach them how to stay physically fit. This example setting starts from a young age and it is wise to get in to a healthy lifestyle routine before the children begin to really learn from your example.
Involving Children In Exercise
Doing exercise with your children can not only benefit both parent and child but can also be a bonding experience with your children. There is nothing better than sharing a hobby or passion with your children and it could be something that connects you for years to come. One of the easiest ways of getting exercise is by simply walking and there are so many opportunities to walk even when children are very young.
You can easily take your child out for a walk when he or she is still in a stroller, even to complete some errands or a visit to the shops. It’s not only beneficial for you from the walking but it is also fresh air for the children and lets them experience different places. As they get older you can still walk them to and from school which can be exercise as well as a good opportunity to talk and bond with the children. It’s also a great example to set for children, showing that you don’t always have to take the car to get around.
Combing Exercise and Children With Household Work
This may sound like an impossible dream but it is possible to get young children helping you out with things about the house. At a young age the majority of children have limitless energy and are forever interested in playing games or doing something. You can utilize this by coming up with games for example tidying up the house, as long as it is made to be fun and entertaining the children will happily play along. This can free up more spare time where you could fit in some exercise or you could even join in with the cleaning games for a bit of extra exercise.
Cooking the evening meal can also become a bit of a chore so why not get the kids involved with making their own pizzas or even something unhealthier like cookies. The children might enjoy making a smiley face on their pizza or seeing the results of their hard work. It also helps teach them about food and you can use it as an opportunity to teach about healthy eating.
Sport, Your Children and Exercise
Sport is an excellent opportunity to get you and your children in to exercise and there are plenty of opportunities to get involved even from a young age. Many gyms or social clubs run parent and child exercise or sports nights, you can even teach your child to swim at many swimming pool based baby lessons.
You don’t even have to go to a club or sports center to get involved in a sport, simply go out in to your garden or to a local park and kick a football around, throw a Frisbee or learn to ride a bike. Playing a sport with children is not only great exercise but a bonding experience and an opportunity to develop a hobby that you both share and can connect over. Who knows, your children may have a real talent for a sport and that could lead to big things in the future.
Cycling is another great form of exercise that you can teach your children and is something that will be very useful in the future. Helping teach your children to cycle can also be a great bonding experience that will hopefully culminate in that proud moment when he or she cycles without your balancing support. Once it’s been learned you can take it further and go out cycling as a family for an enjoyable time together while becoming healthier and fitter.
There are even simpler forms of sporting exercise that can be done with younger kids. Simple games like hide and seek or skipping or jump rope games can be great exercise while being fun for your kids. Parents can get involved too and have sporting competitions or sports days with the children as part of a fun day together in the garden.
Exercise that is Fun and Easy
The point that is being made here is that it is possible to still get exercise into your daily life even when you have children to look after. By combining looking after and entertaining the children with exercise it’s possible to raise a very happy and healthy family. If you need that little kick start or boost to begin with then there are some diet supplements that give you an energy boost and helping hand. Exercise is a vital and important part to raising a healthy and happy child, there are so many ways to get exercise into you and your child’s lifestyle.
Carol L says
These are wonderful suggestions. It’s so important for Moms to find time for themselves while raising a family. And I speak from experience when I say being a Mon is a 24 hour a day job.
When my 7 were very young I used to turn on the radio and we’d all lay down in the living room and we’d do leg lifts, sit ups etc just to exercise (even if it looked ridiculous:) the point after awhile was not just getting in some exercise but we had a blast doing it together. Or trying to. 🙂
Carol L
scott finger says
feel kinda funny with all the moms here and here i am making a comment lol must be all moms on here ya i am a father for 17 years untill just a month ago kids went with the wife of course so very wierd to be home alone for the first time in 19 years just crazy but quiet
marissa lee says
I i love all the suggestions…they are really helpful,,thank you for sharing
Dandi D says
Great advice. I need to be better about keeping myself in shape!
Terri says
Great tips! Sometimes it seems so hard to work exercise into a busy day. Thank you for sharing
heather munoz says
Its great to know their are still ppl out their who want to stay for after having a child. It is very tasking.
Jo-Anne Pfoh says
keeping fit is and will always be a chore for me. i can think of a 100 other things I want to do but i was intrigued by your suggestions thanks
Jimmy Arcade says
My wife and I find it challenging enough to stay fit without kids. This is good stuff to keep in mind for when the Lord does bless us with children.
Nicole Becker says
Great tips!!!! I so need to lose weight and stay fit!! I have absolutely NO ENERGY at all until late at night for some reason!! Any suggestions???
Peggy Greco says
Thanks for sharing meaningful post with us; health and fitness is important.
Angel says
Taking out your child or baby for a walk can easily be done if you have a jogging stroller. It’s kind of expensive but for me, it’s worth the cost. I get to exercise and bond with my baby all at the same time.
Nena Sinclair says
Great info! It’s so important, too, to set a good example for kids, exercising and eating right, from the time they are small! 🙂
Jennifer Ali says
I really like all the suggestions and advice offered in this post.Thanks for all the information.I will definitely use some of these tips.
Tina K. says
Great suggestions! Yup, getting the kids involved is a huge deal – it makes everything go so much smoother. By the way, if your doing the outdoor thing with them, don’t forget to take a breather one in a while and take the opportunity to introduce them to something fun in nature. It’s always good to keep them learning about the environment, and besides, they might think your pretty smart! 🙂
Sunnymay says
Getting fit as a parent takes some planning and having sneakers by the door or in the car helps. My kids liked to go on night walks and see how the neighborhood was different in the dark. Sometimes we took flashlights. The best time we had was at a state park where the naturalist led us on a night trail walk. If someone in front of you had on a white shirt, that made following easier. We could use flashlights, but only if there was a red cellphane wrap around the light, because we didn’t want to scare the night critters – owls, foxes and others.
cole marie mckinnon says
When I was a young mom, I found keeping fit to be an easy task because if you have little ones, you are automatically on the go so to speak all day long. Now that I am a grandmother of older kids, my exercise regimen is nil. When my grandbabies were young it was easy to stay fit. It is after your kids and grandkids are older that the problem of exercise faces you on the scales and in the mirror on a daily basis.
michelle oakley warner says
great advice i need to get my butt in gear, i have been letting myself go latley, just lost track, being so busy, thanks for the great post, im going to get back into shape
Stephanie says
I totally agree that it’s really important to stay fit – both for mom’s health and to set a good example for the kids. Thanks for sharing these tips – they’re very relevant and practical.
Sherryl Wilson says
Great advice. I need to be better about keeping up with things
Kaycee says
These are some great tips, now if I could get past that lack of motivation issue I’d be golden!
Sandie W says
My Son is grown, and it’s usually him reminding me to take care of myself. He calls and invites me to go for walks/hikes with him and his kiddos.
marissa lee says
thank you for sharing..i will be working out more.
Tim Dizdarevic says
Wonderful suggestions and thanks for sharing.
Sherry Compton says
It’s wonderful how companies have really stepped in making running and walking strollers, carriers, and bike wagons. This really helps family members stay active and still have their children with them. When children get older, getting them involved is important for them and you. Plus, many times, kids find exercise to be fun.
Tara Gauthier says
These are great suggestions. We love to take our kids out for walks and bike rides too!
allyson becker says
These are great suggestions. I just do not have enough time in the day. I try to schedule everything. IF I could just make time for staying fit.
Susan Smith says
Taking my child for a run in my jogging stroller was a win win for baby and me.
jessica hager says
Such great advice! My daughter is two and we go on what she calls nature walks where we walk up and down our hill and she picks flowers.
sandy weinstein says
i think it is hard to find time to exercise, i dont have kids but i have 3 dogs, and trying to finish my mother’s trust, clean out storage unit, house, to get ready to move out of state, sell things, time just flys by and it is nite b4 i realize. doing laundry, cleaning, etc. just not enough hours in the day
Rachel Beltz says
It’s funny how a parents greatest role model and motivator can be their own child! Children have so much energy, and motivation, that they can help you get into shape as well as spending quality time with mom or dad. I really liked a lot of the ideas you wrote about like walking with a stroller instead of taking the car!
Ashleigh Swerdfeger says
Awesome! I find my toddler is always on the move so that does keep me fairly busy. However, it is so important to teach a healthy life to your child. So being involved and active with your child is so important. It is so easy to fall into a rut and exercise is a really important part of life. While balancing the demands of motherhood (parenting) with your needs can seem difficult, you really are a better parent when your needs are met.
Nicole Becker says
My granddaughter follows my every move so I know she would do the exercises with me!! So much fun!!
ne-knopka says
Great tips ! Thanks
gigi n jimmy borden says
I like to stay pro active when it comes to keeping fit even though I have kids all day every day, and sometimes it can get hard to maintain that lifestyle! I use my gym’s day care when I need to go work out or I take the kids out in the stroller. thanks for sharing!
Blanca DD says
When I think the people saying “I don’t have time” I remember the phrase I read a while ago “of course we don’t have time, we have to make it”. If somebody really wants to exercise and be healthier, they find the way to do it. Involving kids is a great tip, when I started walking last year, I did it with my little one in her stroller, then, when we finally get to sign up at the Y, we work out while they were doing some other activity.
Great tips on the post!
Nikki O says
Thanks for the tips. Even for people without kids of their own, but take care of kids.
Gloria Walshver says
As a young mother it was hard to stay fit, but when my kids went to school it was easier.
Gloria Walshver says
By going shopping i walked one mile instead of going on the bus today I still do it except when it rains.
Maria Iemma says
I find it hard to find time for exercising while holding a full time job, a part time job and having a house and three kids. I do most of my workout running around the store while I pick up groceries and up and down the stairs in my house for forgotten items. I need to change what I am doing and schedule time for being healthy.
Lyndsey R. says
These are wonderful suggestions! All of them! I work 60 hours a week and 6 days a week! I feel like I don’t have time to do the laundry and make dinner , let alone work out. These suggestions however really help put into prospective that maybe, just maybe LOL I am making excuses!
bogdan sebastian says
i like to do fitness and olso i like to run
Precious Balmaceda says
Very Nice Blog! Yes, you are right! It’s not because you are now a parent you don’t have a responsibility to care of your body.. But, you need allot of love for your self everyday.. 🙂
rae ramos says
great advice. this is something I really needed.
tanya devenney says
great post, my kids are almost grown now but i remember how hard to try to take care of myself while taking
care of my two kids and the household
Kyaw Sein says
Great info for keeping healthy and being fit. Taking a stroll out with the kid benefits both your kid and yourself.
Kayley says
I applaud your efforts to remain fit as a parent and your decision to provide advice for people trying to do the same.
kelly miller says
great ideas to stay fit and get the kids involved
beth c says
i do a lot of gardening & playing in the yard with my toddler to help keep us both fit & active! i forget about sports, though- i need to get us a soft frisbee for the yard! thanks for the great ideas! i like the smiley face pizza idea too 🙂
Ashley F says
Thanks for the great tips! It’s easy to forget about taking care of ourselves when we are looking after little ones!
Sue M. says
I don’t have any kids myself, this is great advice; I’ll definitely share with my friends and relatives who do have kids.
Kara Marks says
Great suggestions–it’s easy to find ways to involve kids if you can find the energy to do it!
Sarah Kurtz says
This is so true. We walk daily. We will skip around the park and run to the end of the block. Winter is harder with the snow and cold so we do fun activities to keep us moving inside.
Heather E. says
I love all of these tips. I agree that it can be difficult to find time in a busy schedule to fit in exercise (with or without kids). It’s extremely important to involve kids with health and fitness from an early age to instill healthy habits that will carry on through adulthood. I really like the idea of seeing this as a bonding experience. I wish my parents had led a more active lifestyle. At times, I still have to fight laziness that has been a habit for far too long!
Renee smith says
I have been looking for ways to be more active. This has some awesome suggestions that I know I could manage to incorporate into my day.
Rachel says
Great suggestions. Kids need exercise too, so why not involve them.
clojo9372 says
i don’t have children myself but i can attest that it is very difficult to stay fit when you have a busy day, with work, traveling to and from, plus other responsibilities. there are only so many hours in the day and you just want to sleep! Doing exercise you enjoy is helpful from making it feeling like more work and something to dread. if you enjoy it you will continue doing it and you will be motivated by it. 🙂
Edna Williams says
These are great tips! It’s always challenging to get fit! Thanks for sharing!
Barrie says
Great points for maintaining exercise as a parent of children. FInding a family activity for the whole family to enjoy teaches kids that exercise is fun!
marthalynn says
Great points! Because I’m a mom of two littles, I feel like I’m always “on the go”. I think I’ve let that mentality trick me into thinking I’m fit because I’m moving all the time, but in reality my muscle strength, muscle endurance, and cardiovascular endurance are severely lacking. Actually focusing on building strength and endurance needs to be a priority for me!
sarah alexis says
Busy parent – that’s me! Working fulltime and a single mom of two – it sure is hard to fit in exercise – but I’m trying! I swim and I’m trying to go for walks on my breaks at work – now that the weather is getting nicer!
aneshm says
These are some great tips – thank you!!
Jeanna Massman says
Thanks for all the good ideas! I’m definitely going to try some of them!
samir hmdme says
great topic, it’s in fact very challenging for a mom to find time for herself to exercice so incorporating it in daily tasks is the best solution!
Elizabeth H. says
Good subject!! Every parent should stay fit to keep up with their kids.
Amber Ludwig says
Such great tips!! My 3 year old really keeps me moving!! We love to go on adventures often and they keep us active and having fun!! I swear he keeps me in the best shape ever!
Kara Kudro says
Great article, it is so tough to find any personal time for fitness when you have young children but the great thing about little kids is that they want to run and play as much as possible! So you can just join in on the fun and get your fitness that way:)
Amy Green says
This is a great post. I have always felt that you need to make fitness fun so it doesn’t feel as much of a chore. I remember when I first got serious about getting in shape, I bought Paula Abdul’s workout VHS. I even made all kinds of mixtapes with my favorite uptempo numbers! It amazes me how we have all of this instant technology to help out with getting healthy. The variety really does help from keeping it from getting boring!
Leslie Crosbie says
Its kinda funny but I find it harder to stay in shape now that my kids are older, not me, because after chaing 4 small kids to having teens…BIG difference!!
KATE SARSFIELD says
I’m not a parent but a very busy teacher of children & adults with intellectual disabilities. I unwind by going swimming a couple of evenings a week. Just doing lengths is a perfect way of forgetting the crazy world and just focus on my breathing for an hour at a time.
Michelle Elizondo says
Its so important to take care of yourself.
Michele says
Trying to keep a home + taking care of children + all the other things a mom has to do exercise can be very low on the list of things to get done. Itis so very important but the time! So one has to make the time for the sake of the family you love…
Leslie Crosbie says
This may sound funny but having 4 kids, the one great thing when they were little I had no trouble staying shape!! Chasing them all day was a workout and now they are teens, I find myself slowly gaining weight????
Amy Green says
My favorite new example of this is the current commercial for Cheerios breakfast cereal. It features moms and their kids, dancing together!
Heather smith says
Thank you for this article. This is something I have a hard time with not only doing but finding motivation to do. It is encouraging to know I am not alone
fran brooks says
love the ideas i need to remember this post!
Tara Gauthier says
These are some great ideas, sure shows how it can actually be easy to incorporate exercise into your children’s and your daily routine!
Sandra Watts says
Good advice. Now if only I could follow it.
Jerry Marquardt says
It is hard to keep up on a daily basis no matter hard you try. You just have to resort to maintenance.
Julie D says
My favorite gym has a childcare center in it. My daughter absolutely loves the ladies there and she gets to run around to her heart’s content, while I work out. Win-win!
jennifer peters says
We try as a family to keep active. We have computer time but we also have outside play time. We have soccer & basketball. We also may up games. like hammer freeze tag (don’t worry isn’t an inflatable hammer)
MaryAnn says
It is always a challenge to keep fit when you have children but I love taking my kids out on walks with me and they really enjoy it.
denise smith says
the kids help us stay healthy and fit we take walks everyday they are always so active so are we
Cami Valenzuela says
I have such a hard time finding motivation. But I do love going outside playing with my boys on the trampoline or riding bikes with them. And they love it too.
Sarah L says
When I was growing up, my family went on lots of bike rides exploring all over.
Jeanna Massman says
I think it’s great for the whole family to establish the habit of exercising daily.
KATE SARSFIELD says
It’s so important to get our children into the whole idea of being active.
Sue M. says
These are helpful suggestions, I think it’s great to find some things that parents and their kids can both do together to stay fit.
Warmington says
Thank you! I would take a frozen wet washcloth for a teething baby to chew on thus soothing the gums. It makes a fitness walk with a stroller less stressful for mom & baby!
giveawaylovermommy says
Tnx for the great tips, I’m having trouble staying fit, as a mom of two.
Lisa Dorsett says
As a mom, I would have go agree, it can be hard, but if you team up with the kids and do the exercise (stay fit,healthy and be together as a family)it can be so awesome!! With my schedule, I have to do it in increments like during a quick break for the kids to relax for a bit. 🙂
Natalie says
I bought a running stroller so now I can take my daughter while I run!
Renee Rousseau says
Reminds me of the adage that if you follow a toddler around and mimic all their actions for 20 minutes. you will have a complete workout for the day! Thanks for the meaningful suggestions.
donna porter says
Great tips in your article. I try hard to walk 5 days a week. I do say try because with such a busy schedule it is just so hard. I feel much better when I do get a daily walk in. I think it is not only good for your body health but to help with mind and stress..
Whitney Fegett says
It’s very important as a mother to exercise but sometimes I find it hard to get anything done. I do enjoy going outside with my children and playing. Sometimes I can get them to some exercises with me but not much.
Shreya says
Not a busy parent..but i think this is going to be pretty useful for my sister who is busy as a home mom with two kids and struggling with her weight..
andreea lazar says
I am not a mother but I love to make sport with my little sister and brother <3
Jennifer says
I get in a walk daily unless something is more important and I can’t. It is more fun if you do it as a group, even playing in the yard.
Shantiqua allen says
Very helpful tips going to need them when my newborn is born and i will have to juggle taking care of him and my two year old son
Brittany h says
I am trying a new workout routine since the kids are in school. It has worked out great and on the weekends to help keep them busy they will join me also!!!
Natalie says
These are great ideas! It is great to get your kids involved in exercise too, such as playing frisbee with them.
Chum says
thank you for this. my fitness comes 2nd only to my son so these tips are very helpful!
Gloria Walshver says
When I’m outdoors I see young mothers wheeling their baby carriages and i smile that’s their exercise of the day.
Carmen Rudnick says
Thank you for the tips! I definitely need to try some out.
Susan Smith says
We would walk to our local park and while the kids played in the equipment I walked around the park.
barbg says
All good tips and when they are old enough they can jog right along beside you.
Gina E says
awesome advice thanks! 🙂
Christina G. says
It’s hard to get up the energy after a long day. I know it’s important, though. Thanks for posting!
Alisha Lecroy says
It really can be a challenge staying with an exercise routine. I love to walk at the track every morning. We have a partially wooded park nearby and its wonderful.