The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly… of working out with kids in tow

I often find myself wondering “what was I thinking?” when I’m in the middle of a “workout” and I’ve tried to bring the kids along or, even harder, include or involve them. That’s when I started thinking about the pros and cons.

First, The Good: It is good for me to work out. It is good for my children to see me working out. It is good for my children to get some activity themselves. Not being active isn’t even an option anymore with my post childbirth body, and 3 very active children. I need to be able to keep up with them and I strongly believe in role modeling this behavior.

The Bad: Including the kids, or having them tag along in some way, is a lot of work, takes a lot of problem-solving and I often think it is not worth it. But it is worth it. It just takes some planning. And honestly, no one cheers harder for me than my 3 little cheerleaders. (I’ve taught them to chant “Go Mom Go”, and “2, 4, 6, 8, who do we appreciate? Mom, Mom, yeaaaaaaaaa Mom!”) I highly recommend you do the same with your children — very entertaining.

The Ugly: I can break this out into two parts. I feel ugly if I’m not doing something for myself to stay active, and I’m in an ugly mood if I go too many days without some sort of outlet. By ugly mood, I’m referring to the need for a change of pace and change of scenery. It is amazing how a little fresh air can lighten spirits and allow for a totally different interaction with others.

So what does my workout (with kids in tow) look like?

• On occasion, it is to the gym, where the wonderful employees in the daycare watch my children for 30-60 min while I choose a machine in front of the window so that the children are entertained watching me workout. Often I reward my kids for their cooperation with a trip to the playground after so they can get their own workout in.
• It is often a walk around the block (or several blocks, if at all possible!). Sometimes we carry buckets to pick up interesting leaves, pine cones, rocks etc.
• We live near some conservation land, so sometimes we can get there to do a 30-60 minute walk/hike. For the hike I need to cart bug spray, a mini first aid kit, water bottles, wipes for dirty hands, and sometimes even snacks. (I also need a solid repertoire of child friendly songs for us to sing. We all take a turn choosing a song and I need to be current with the lyrics.)
• Sometimes it is a destination walk — like the one-mile walk to the library or to church.

If we are outside, the walking is slow and there are requests to be carried at times. I have 3 kids and only room for two in the stroller, so if my older kids get tired of walking, I’m usually pushing them while carrying the baby in a baby carrier. I tell myself it’s worth it as I am burning more calories pushing heavy strollers or carrying extra weight in the baby carrier.

Don’t forget to pack…
I need to include sunscreen and hats, and sometimes water and snacks, on hot days. Depending on how long I expect to be gone, I may need to bring extra food, diapers etc. for the baby. I always carry my cell phone, and a little bit of money, in case of an emergency. Of course you don’t have to be prepared for every possible contingency — I’m just wired that way.

I often have my camera as an incentive — “let’s take a picture when we get there to show daddy when he gets home”. Lastly, I need to have total disregard for my own vanity and appearance. But it is all worth it. My goal is accomplished, we are all (usually) in a better mood after our “adventure,” and if I’m really lucky, the kids nap really well (I’ve been known to nap myself after a long walk), or go to bed easily at night, as a result.

by PeggyKerans on 08/16/2011 | Share Story With a Friend

tags: Weight-Loss, motivation, exercise, planning, strategies, kids, mommy blog