working out with 2 kids under 5
mjtaylor87
Posts: 242 Member
so im trying to find good work outs to do with my kids around. if i get on like a stationary bike or treadmill they want to know when they get a turn. if i try to go for a run they run off in different directions or wont listen, if i do floor Exercises they want to climb on me. i cant afford the only gym in my town with a day care and have no family that will keep the kids so i can go work out. I was thinking about getting a bike and buying one of those trailer things that they can ride in while i pull it but i worry i am not in shape enough to keep that going. has any one tried one of those? are they hard to pull?
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Replies
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Do they nap? That may be your best bet!
Mine are a bit older now (4 and 7) but the only thing I found that worked was working out when they were asleep - either before they woke up in the morning, during naptime or after they went to bed. Not ideal, but you've gotta fit it in sometime!
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yeah i try to do it after they go to bed but by that time i am beat. we have to be up at 5 am and i am not a morning person so working out in the morning is very hard for me. and they take nap but that is while i am at work. I feel bad cause i only have from 4pm when we get home till 8 which is bed time to spend with them. that includes cleaning the house, making dinner, getting everyone's stuff ready for the next day, and fitting in a work out. So i try to put them to bed at 8 and then do a work out till 9 and then be in bed by 10. its just by that late at night i dont feel i get the best work out in.0
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I mostly cycle. My kids are 5 & 7...I have a bike trailer and used to use it more, but they're too big to both go in it now, but I used to do that a lot.
I typically just get up early before they're awake and go for a ride...my wife and I alternate mornings. She runs on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. I ride on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and usually rock climb on Sunday (we often do that as a family).0 -
Google Billy Blanks Tae Bo Kicks (should be on YouTube)......it's a kid's workout. You might do that one a few times until your kids catch on (or get bored) then move onto other Tae Bo workouts. They can follow along, or not.
Leslie Sansone, Kari Anderson, and Denise Austin have also made kids videos. If not on YouTube, check your local library. Regular Leslie Sansone would definitely be simple enough for kids.0 -
My kids are 9, 7, and 3 and we do calisthenics every morning - pushups, situps, jumping jacks, planks, etc. for 20 mins. We hit the local playgrounds and just play, sometime doing pullup competitions, but the point is unstructured play.
We have an Xbox with Kinect and a few workout programs which helps keep them active.
I bought a 2 seat bike trailer years back, but the kids have outgrown it and I donated this to a teammate at work. Great fun and not that hard to tow.4 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »I mostly cycle. My kids are 5 & 7...I have a bike trailer and used to use it more, but they're too big to both go in it now, but I used to do that a lot.
I typically just get up early before they're awake and go for a ride...my wife and I alternate mornings. She runs on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. I ride on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and usually rock climb on Sunday (we often do that as a family).
that would be great but my husband doesnt get home from work till 30 mins before i have to be at work
I think ill be getting the bike trailer
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Google Billy Blanks Tae Bo Kicks (should be on YouTube)......it's a kid's workout. You might do that one a few times until your kids catch on (or get bored) then move onto other Tae Bo workouts. They can follow along, or not.
Leslie Sansone, Kari Anderson, and Denise Austin have also made kids videos. If not on YouTube, check your local library. Regular Leslie Sansone would definitely be simple enough for kids.
awesome thank ill look for those tonight0 -
My kids are 9, 7, and 3 and we do calisthenics every morning - pushups, situps, jumping jacks, planks, etc. for 20 mins. We hit the local playgrounds and just play, sometime doing pullup competitions, but the point is unstructured play.
We have an Xbox with Kinect and a few workout programs which helps keep them active.
I bought a 2 seat bike trailer years back, but the kids have outgrown it and I donated this to a teammate at work. Great fun and not that hard to tow.
awesome i will be getting the bike tow. kind of worried though because i havent been on a real bike in 15+ years lol
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I have little hacks I use to beef up my fitness routine like holding a plank while playing blocks, doing squats while food warms up in the microwave and putting dumbbells at the bottom of the laundry basket. It's silly but it helps.4
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Tabbycat00 wrote: »I have little hacks I use to beef up my fitness routine like holding a plank while playing blocks, doing squats while food warms up in the microwave and putting dumbbells at the bottom of the laundry basket. It's silly but it helps.
oh wow not silly at all. I will have to steal a couple of those. If im cleaning the house and i have things that go to a different room i will take them there right way instead of gathering them all to do together because it gets me moving more
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If you're going to purchase a bike trailer, keep in mind that kids outgrow those pretty quickly. Put the word out and see if anyone has one they don't need anymore.
Also, remember that a workout doesn't have to be a structured, timed event. Given your lifestyle right now, just fit being more active into your day. Do you have a playground nearby? There are many exercises you can do using playground equipment and to do body weight exercises. Run or walk a lap around the park occasionally and get your kids to do it with you.
Hang in there! Kids grow up quickly and you'll have to adapt your fitness routines with each stage of life (school schedules, activities, etc.).4 -
If you're going to purchase a bike trailer, keep in mind that kids outgrow those pretty quickly. Put the word out and see if anyone has one they don't need anymore.
Also, remember that a workout doesn't have to be a structured, timed event. Given your lifestyle right now, just fit being more active into your day. Do you have a playground nearby? There are many exercises you can do using playground equipment and to do body weight exercises. Run or walk a lap around the park occasionally and get your kids to do it with you.
Hang in there! Kids grow up quickly and you'll have to adapt your fitness routines with each stage of life (school schedules, activities, etc.).
Thank you that is great advice2 -
mjtaylor87 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »I mostly cycle. My kids are 5 & 7...I have a bike trailer and used to use it more, but they're too big to both go in it now, but I used to do that a lot.
I typically just get up early before they're awake and go for a ride...my wife and I alternate mornings. She runs on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. I ride on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and usually rock climb on Sunday (we often do that as a family).
that would be great but my husband doesnt get home from work till 30 mins before i have to be at work I think ill be getting the bike trailer
The great thing about the bike trailer too is that it really gave my kids an appreciation for cycling and they're both avid riders now. We had a regular bike trailer and when they got a little bigger we upgraded to a weehoo...they come in single and double passenger...
My oldest no longer rides in this (though he could) because he has a new bike with gearing, so we can pretty much go out and he can handle about a 10-12 mile ride on his own, but my youngest still rides in this when we do those. We all did a 1/2 century with this thing...
The downside to all of these things is that they grow out of them fairly quickly, so if you can, I'd shop around for used.2 -
mjtaylor87 wrote: »My kids are 9, 7, and 3 and we do calisthenics every morning - pushups, situps, jumping jacks, planks, etc. for 20 mins. We hit the local playgrounds and just play, sometime doing pullup competitions, but the point is unstructured play.
We have an Xbox with Kinect and a few workout programs which helps keep them active.
I bought a 2 seat bike trailer years back, but the kids have outgrown it and I donated this to a teammate at work. Great fun and not that hard to tow.
awesome i will be getting the bike tow. kind of worried though because i havent been on a real bike in 15+ years lol
As others have said - shop used or check out local bike shops, ask around school, etc. I have a similar backpack baby hauler that was donated to us and we in turn are donating to the next generation.
And kids - these are mobile weights. I deadlift, bend over row, overhand press all three.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »mjtaylor87 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »I mostly cycle. My kids are 5 & 7...I have a bike trailer and used to use it more, but they're too big to both go in it now, but I used to do that a lot.
I typically just get up early before they're awake and go for a ride...my wife and I alternate mornings. She runs on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. I ride on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and usually rock climb on Sunday (we often do that as a family).
that would be great but my husband doesnt get home from work till 30 mins before i have to be at work I think ill be getting the bike trailer
The great thing about the bike trailer too is that it really gave my kids an appreciation for cycling and they're both avid riders now. We had a regular bike trailer and when they got a little bigger we upgraded to a weehoo...they come in single and double passenger...
My oldest no longer rides in this (though he could) because he has a new bike with gearing, so we can pretty much go out and he can handle about a 10-12 mile ride on his own, but my youngest still rides in this when we do those. We all did a 1/2 century with this thing...
The downside to all of these things is that they grow out of them fairly quickly, so if you can, I'd shop around for used.
oh my gosh this is awesome!!! i want to find one like this. see i am worried about the growing out quick because they are 2 and 4 now so the 4 year old maybe out of it sooner rather than later
but at least with the other style it could work for any future babies or pets too. but this one just looks cool.0 -
You need a running stroller for two and long walks.
I walked everywhere I could. Always, when I went to the store.
Pushing the extra weight made it even better exercise.
The other major thing I did involved picking my wife up from work. We just had one car, so I needed to pick her up. But I might have done it anyway, for this: When we got to her office, I would get out of the car. She'd drive home and i'd run. We lived about four miles from her work so, with traffic, I was not that far behind her in getting home.
It was an excellent way of getting my exercise in that was not too disruptive of everything else.
If your SO's work is too far away you could drive halfway back, then get out.
Good luck0 -
mjtaylor87 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »mjtaylor87 wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »I mostly cycle. My kids are 5 & 7...I have a bike trailer and used to use it more, but they're too big to both go in it now, but I used to do that a lot.
I typically just get up early before they're awake and go for a ride...my wife and I alternate mornings. She runs on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. I ride on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and usually rock climb on Sunday (we often do that as a family).
that would be great but my husband doesnt get home from work till 30 mins before i have to be at work I think ill be getting the bike trailer
The great thing about the bike trailer too is that it really gave my kids an appreciation for cycling and they're both avid riders now. We had a regular bike trailer and when they got a little bigger we upgraded to a weehoo...they come in single and double passenger...
My oldest no longer rides in this (though he could) because he has a new bike with gearing, so we can pretty much go out and he can handle about a 10-12 mile ride on his own, but my youngest still rides in this when we do those. We all did a 1/2 century with this thing...
The downside to all of these things is that they grow out of them fairly quickly, so if you can, I'd shop around for used.
oh my gosh this is awesome!!! i want to find one like this. see i am worried about the growing out quick because they are 2 and 4 now so the 4 year old maybe out of it sooner rather than later
but at least with the other style it could work for any future babies or pets too. but this one just looks cool.
They'll be able to use something like this longer than they will a trailer. I'm doing a 1/2 century in September and both of my boys will be joining me on the Weehoo.
I like this design better than more traditional pedal trailer setups because it's a recumbent and if they get tired they can nod off and sleep without worrying about falling off a seat.0 -
If after they go to bed is really the only time you feel you can do it then just get it done. It will eventually become a habit. I either work out at 5am or 8pm...both suck but it has to get done.1
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GiddyupTim wrote: »You need a running stroller for two and long walks.
I walked everywhere I could. Always, when I went to the store.
Pushing the extra weight made it even better exercise.
The other major thing I did involved picking my wife up from work. We just had one car, so I needed to pick her up. But I might have done it anyway, for this: When we got to her office, I would get out of the car. She'd drive home and i'd run. We lived about four miles from her work so, with traffic, I was not that far behind her in getting home.
It was an excellent way of getting my exercise in that was not too disruptive of everything else.
If your SO's work is too far away you could drive halfway back, then get out.
Good luck
that is a great idea. a jogging stroller would be nice but i would really only have the money for one thing right now and i think im going to go with the bike trailer1 -
oh i ment the covered one like this. so they could go to sleep if they wanted too. i wanted to get the ones that are like a little bike that he can ride on but i worried about him falling off and then i couldnt take both of them with me and that would defeat the purpose of it all lol
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mjtaylor87 wrote: »oh i ment the covered one like this. so they could go to sleep if they wanted too. i wanted to get the ones that are like a little bike that he can ride on but i worried about him falling off and then i couldnt take both of them with me and that would defeat the purpose of it all lol
If you went with a Weehoo, it's a recumbent with backed seats and they're strapped in, so they won't fall out.
On the flip side, someone mentioned a jogging stroller...when we had our regular trailer, it doubled as a jogging stroller or walking stroller. It was very similar to this...
When you want to bike, you just remove the front wheel and then the trailer attachment flips out from underneath.2 -
Girl! There are SO many workouts that will incorporate the kiddos and make it fun for all of you. Squat while they are on your shoulders, let them sit on back while doing push ups, pick them up and down for arm curls, let them sit on your feet while you do sit ups, at the park do squats with the swing, run stairs at the bottom of the slide, play chase, turn on music and boogie, there is an app game "just dance now" that my kids and i do. Just get creative, it's hard working out with littles but the more you do it the more they will get use to it . 1
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Girl! There are SO many workouts that will incorporate the kiddos and make it fun for all of you. Squat while they are on your shoulders, let them sit on back while doing push ups, pick them up and down for arm curls, let them sit on your feet while you do sit ups, at the park do squats with the swing, run stairs at the bottom of the slide, play chase, turn on music and boogie, there is an app game "just dance now" that my kids and i do. Just get creative, it's hard working out with littles but the more you do it the more they will get use to it .
I need to try that app. I do a lot of dancing with the kids.1 -
mjtaylor87 wrote: »My kids are 9, 7, and 3 and we do calisthenics every morning - pushups, situps, jumping jacks, planks, etc. for 20 mins. We hit the local playgrounds and just play, sometime doing pullup competitions, but the point is unstructured play.
We have an Xbox with Kinect and a few workout programs which helps keep them active.
I bought a 2 seat bike trailer years back, but the kids have outgrown it and I donated this to a teammate at work. Great fun and not that hard to tow.
awesome i will be getting the bike tow. kind of worried though because i havent been on a real bike in 15+ years lol
As others have said - shop used or check out local bike shops, ask around school, etc. I have a similar backpack baby hauler that was donated to us and we in turn are donating to the next generation.
And kids - these are mobile weights. I deadlift, bend over row, overhand press all three.
Better than used. Had a lady on a Facebook yard sale site give me one for FREE!!!!! Needs some tlc but I can do that2 -
I had a bike trailer. My kids loved it! I never found it much more taxing than just my body weight, but I also don't have a lot of hills.0
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Also... I agree with the above poster. Use your kids as weights! They love it. Giggles and grins for days.0
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The trailers not hard to pull with a 4 and 2 yo. I use to stick 3 in mine (5,3, & 1) and that wasnt too bad either unless there was a hill. My kids would still happily ride in it now though it would be hard work. With the 4yo you could get him a scooter so he can start with that and when he's had enough its small enough to put in the trailer and you can keep going with him sitting in the trailer (mine has a small boot).
I see a lot of runners with prams at my park run, those parents always have snacks at the ready. But mostly I think its consistency, they do it each week and get used to it and learn not to complain too much. Many also let the child start running and then pop them in the pram when they have had enough.0 -
30kgin2017 wrote: »The trailers not hard to pull with a 4 and 2 yo. I use to stick 3 in mine (5,3, & 1) and that wasnt too bad either unless there was a hill. My kids would still happily ride in it now though it would be hard work. With the 4yo you could get him a scooter so he can start with that and when he's had enough its small enough to put in the trailer and you can keep going with him sitting in the trailer (mine has a small boot).
I see a lot of runners with prams at my park run, those parents always have snacks at the ready. But mostly I think its consistency, they do it each week and get used to it and learn not to complain too much. Many also let the child start running and then pop them in the pram when they have had enough.
that is a really good idea. We have scooters for both of them already so i will try that. right now i have to work on getting a bike because i still dont have one lol
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I take my Kids 1 and 4 to the gym look and see if your gym around you has a kids club. Nice break for mom and kids to play!!0
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disney_addict_1028 wrote: »I take my Kids 1 and 4 to the gym look and see if your gym around you has a kids club. Nice break for mom and kids to play!!
nope closes thing if one gym has a day care but that gym is like $50 a month and you still have to pay the daycare separate too0
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