While I am off at Fitbloggin’, please enjoy this guest post from Jim. Do you have any tips to share on how you keep your kids occupied while you workout? Please leave them in comments below.
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One of the reasons that it is so difficult to workout as a mom is that it’s hard to keep the children occupied during your exercise time. Children like to be entertained, and when you are working out, it doesn’t take long for them to become bored and begin interrupting you. There are some things you can do to keep your children occupied, though:
Encourage Your Child to Work Out With You
Children love to do what you are doing. It’s why they dress up in your clothes and pretend to make dinner. Invite your child to exercise with you. There are yoga workouts designed for you to do with your children — including yoga poses that you can do with an infant. In addition to yoga, it is possible to find other kid-friendly workouts that can be done together.
When you encourage your child to join you in working out, you will also be introducing him or her to healthier lifestyle habits. Build positive memories of physical activity now, and your child will be more willing to follow good physical health practices as he or she ages.
Find Educational Games to Keep Your Child Amused
No one likes to think of putting a child in front of the TV just so that mom can get a workout. However, there are plenty of educational resources that can provide your child with valuable learning time. There are preschool games that can help your toddler learn numbers and letters, and provide helpful stimulation. These games can keep children amused for a half hour or more while you work out — and it will help him or her develop useful mental skills.
Break Up Your Workout
Instead of doing your workout routine all at once, break it up. There are workouts that can be done in 10 minutes. When your child is happily playing, pop in a 10 minute workout video or look online for short workouts. Bookmark your favorites so that you can go right to them. If you plan to break up your exercise, time, you can get it done during times when your child is already happily occupied.
Take it Outside
If you enjoy exercising outside, it can be a great way to provide entertainment for your child, as well as get a good workout. If you have a jogging stroller, this can be quite easy. You can also get a seat for your child on the back of your bike. Older children can ride their bikes right with you. Games of tag, basketball and hide and seek are great ways to enjoy cardio while sharing quality time with your children.
Other outdoor activities that can provide you with a good workout while your children are occupied include shoveling snow, gardening and yardwork. You can keep an eye on them while you work, or you can encourage them to help you. Remember that sometimes a workout can come in other forms.
Bottom Line
There are a number of strategies you can employ to keep your children occupied while you work out, but the most effective are likely to be those that allow you to spend time together while you exercise.
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