Exercising with young children at home...

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  • emandbri
    emandbri Posts: 45
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    These are great suggestions! I'd personally though just get a new stroller, there are many that go to higher weight limits. I used to walk with two almost 5 year olds in a double! I figured out with the kids and the stroller I was pushing $128 lbs, quite a work out!

    It would also put them to sleep! lol
    https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/D-WVlhl4H8wXvcTFWu6bIQ?feat=directlink

    I'm now home bound because I had foot surgery but I do yoga a home and my 5 year old does it with me.
  • BioQueen
    BioQueen Posts: 694 Member
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    My mom used to take me to the gym with her. A lot of gyms have a place for kids, some even have programs for them too. Most of my knowledge of weight training comes from when I was 10 and my mom enrolled me in some sort of kid's fit program at the gym. Surprisingly, I remember a lot and still use it! haha.
  • kasmir8199
    kasmir8199 Posts: 507 Member
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    Hiya! You'll see in my signature the DVD programs I follow at home. I love them. TurboFire is definitely boosting my cardiovascular endurance. I'm hoping to do my first 5k in 2012 (at Disney) and I've signed on to do Tough Mudder next year with a few fitness buddies I've met online.

    I'm a single mom with 2 kids (a 5 year old girl) and a super hyper 3 year old boy. Taking them for walks is out of the question. My boy would take off, and to be quite honest, that little sucker is FAST! lol

    I do early morning workouts, before they awake. Sometimes I do late night workouts, if I wasn't able to rise that early in the AM.

    Best wishes!!
  • jarrettd
    jarrettd Posts: 872 Member
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    I still put my 3 and 4.5 year old in the stroller. They are used to it now, so they don't balk. I pack snacks and drinks and we go. They behave pretty well because they know we usually hit the playground when mom is done exercising. Hoping to get another full year and then some with the double stroller. Because I know once I pack the stroller away it will become much harder to keep a steady pace with them.

    Yep!! 2 yr old and 5 yr old in a double stroller. Plug my ipod into a set of portable battery-op speakers, pack a soft-side cooler, hats and sunglasses, and off we go. We end up either at the playground or Dairy Queen, so they love it. It's extra effort for me (75 pounds I'm pushing uphill and down!)

    Poor stroller has about had it, tho.
  • misslouisiana
    misslouisiana Posts: 37 Member
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    Bump! I have the same problem. one more year before my youngest goes to school so I'm stuck.
  • atessieri
    atessieri Posts: 53 Member
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    a nanny for a 1 year old and bring my one year old son and i am always on my feet with them anyway but they love to dance and we do my dance video together and i will take my son to the park and run around with him. I think you said you have a 5 year old boy right? if yes maybe get a kick boxing video or something he would enjoy doing with you. I also turn cleaning my house into a workout and my boys love to help. Good Luck and make it fun :)
  • atessieri
    atessieri Posts: 53 Member
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    o and if they have a bike they can ride they can ride while you walk/run at the park or walking trails. or just go for a nature walk together it may not be a 5k but its up and moving and a good start :)
  • JEWEL776
    JEWEL776 Posts: 30 Member
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    I seriously never considered taking him with on a "real" walk *LOL* I can honestly say I don't think it would do me much good. Perhaps when he starts biking, though! That's a good idea.

    DVD suggestions?? I had bought a few just... hated them :) But really need to get moving, so bring it.

    Try Leslie Sansone " Walk Away the Pounds". I love them!! And sometimes the kids get involved while I am doing them!! :)
  • baybeeboo
    baybeeboo Posts: 65
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    I bought Wii yesterday and so far I LOVE IT! I bought it with a Wii fit package which comes with the CDs. It works out everything for you, weight, BMI, the minutes of exercise that was done and the calories burned. I also bought a Zumba game for it, I haven't had a chance to try it out yet, I too have a 2 and a 3 year old, So I will be trying that out later once they are in bed :)
  • GettingFitterVicki
    GettingFitterVicki Posts: 82 Member
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    I'm lucky because although I have an almost 3 year old I work from home and she goes to nursery/grandparents a couple of days a week so I get two whole days where I can fit a workout in. I'm doing a DVD at the mo and do it from my laptop so I can keep an eye on her in the living room, but she can watch Micky Mouse or whatever for 20 minutes! She usually just copies me and pretends to do the exercises though which is fun but can be distracting.

    I go to zumba one night a week which is a late one. I have my other half here but could you get someone to sit for an hour and do a night class?

    I also run - again though it relies on my other half being here as I'll try to do this early morning or evenings. A DVD is possibly your best bet!
  • GettingFitterVicki
    GettingFitterVicki Posts: 82 Member
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    Seriously? 4? is that good for their little legs to go that far? *LOL* Maybe I'm equating children with young puppies and hip dysplasia too realistically :)

    Lol I haven't really used the buggy for a long long time. I might need it once every few months if a) Jessica is poorly/extremely tired or b) she needs to eat 'on-the-go'.

    I always say that children learn to walk for a reason at the ages they do, and that's not to be pushed around all day long lol. Maybe I'm a cruel mother? I suppose with our daughter being so small (about 23lb and almost 3 years old) we do have the option to just pick her up and carry her a fair way before we get tired arms!
  • katevonr
    katevonr Posts: 27
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    I nanny a 5 year old and she LOVES doing workouts with me. Especially my 30 day shred because she feels like she beats me when it kicks my butt!

    We also go to the track at the neighborhood school. She'll bring her bike or scooter to practice and I'll run. She keeps up with me without tiring so quickly.
  • Runninginafatsuit
    Runninginafatsuit Posts: 78 Member
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    I have an almost 5 year old and he walks up to 2 miles with me or rides his scooter or bike. I also bought him some 1 lbs weights and get him a box to stand on (step bench) and he will do my DVDs with me from time to time.

    Also, if you have games like the Wii or Xbox Kinect, you can both get some workout time in while having fun. My son and I love Kinect sports and Dance Central.

    I have a gym membership but don't really trust the gym daycares, be careful with those. A lot of them are not regulated by the same guidelines as regular daycares. A lot also don't require ID to pick up the child. Maybe it's different at other gyms but that's how it is at mine and I dont feel that it's safe enough for my kids.
  • DianaPowerUp
    DianaPowerUp Posts: 518 Member
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    I have 3 boys (8, 7, 7), and when they're home from school (like in the summer), I use exercise videos. This summer I was working out to ChaLean Extreme. Most programs are around 30 min., which is a small amt of time for them to be able to occupy themselves.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    I seriously never considered taking him with on a "real" walk *LOL* I can honestly say I don't think it would do me much good. Perhaps when he starts biking, though! That's a good idea.

    DVD suggestions?? I had bought a few just... hated them :) But really need to get moving, so bring it.

    I know it's old and cheesy, but I absolutely love the Richard Simmons Sweatin' to the Oldies. It's fun and cute and doesn't really feel like a workout so much since it's mostly old dance moves adapted for a workout.

    Most DVDs bore me, but I really love that one (I only have the first one since I don't like the music in the later ones).
  • MiNiMoNkI
    MiNiMoNkI Posts: 447 Member
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    I have a 9 year old son, he joins in on the 30 day shred with us :)
  • jenny95662
    jenny95662 Posts: 997 Member
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    Yes, a real on-topic question *gasp*

    Anyhow, I would really like to get off my lazy *kitten* and would invite ideas for your best tips on making exercise "fit." Particularly, I'd like to couch to 5K. Single mom - can't exactly leave a 5 year old at home to go for a walk/run, go to the gym, etc. and he's too old for a stroller. Is anyone a single parent that's got good advice on this? I don't yet have a treadmill, though I'd love one.

    i have a 5 yr old and a 20 month old he goes in carriage and she goes on her bike and i hit a track and walk it while she rides. Or i do a video at home. I have a membership tot he ymca also so i have daycare when i hit the gym but before i had the option i did one of those. My 5 yr old loves doing videos with me and she actually makes me do them she keeps bugging me lmao we one day did a 20 min jillian michaels video i was pooped within the first 10 min and she was like we need to do this 2 times mom come on lol i was like what heck no lmao we like to do the latin dance videos together and laugh at eachother cause we look silly lol
  • takm0527
    takm0527 Posts: 53
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    You have gotten some great suggestions already. I wanted to second the having him ride his bike while you run. I often pass a woman and her son that are doing that in the mornings on my run. They were out there on weekday mornings before school was out, so he must have been about your sons age.

    Another idea is to find another mom in your area and trade workout times. I used to do this with a lady down the street from me when my kids were young. She would bring her kids to my house and they would play with my kids for an hour while she went for a run, then she would stop by when she was done and pick them all up and they would go down to her house for an hour while I went out for some exercise. We would do this a few times a week, when our schedules allowed. The kids loved the playdate and we both got a full hour to workout ALONE (honestly, the alone was better than the workout).

    Another option is the playground. I used to "play" on the playground while the kids were there. Its amazing how much a swing works your abs! And there are the monkey bars, ladders to climb and more. Just find a quiet playground without a lot of kids to trip over and you can get in a great workout! :wink: Also, the pool is great for this. Your son can splash and play in the shallow end and your can go a few feet over and tread water, scissor kick, or practice your breast stroke.

    My husband rides while our 4 year old rides his bike...he has to go at a slower pace...he still has training wheels...but he lasts longer on his bike.

    I got a treadmill of Craigslist and then was able to save up to get a better one.

    As many other said. Jillian's DVDs are great and fast

    Our YMCAs around here all have childcare where the kids get to play supervised and you can workout.

    Good luck!
  • ilookthetype
    ilookthetype Posts: 3,021 Member
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    Yes, a real on-topic question *gasp*

    Anyhow, I would really like to get off my lazy *kitten* and would invite ideas for your best tips on making exercise "fit." Particularly, I'd like to couch to 5K. Single mom - can't exactly leave a 5 year old at home to go for a walk/run, go to the gym, etc. and he's too old for a stroller. Is anyone a single parent that's got good advice on this? I don't yet have a treadmill, though I'd love one.

    Leave him in a closet with a small snack and some toys. < first suggestion, I am not however any sort of parent. My second bit of advice would be a neighbor. A lot of gyms do have a daycare so people can drop off their kid and work out.
  • AndreaWyland
    AndreaWyland Posts: 142 Member
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    Im not a single mom but I do childcare in my home and have up to 6 children ranging from 6.5 months to 7 yrs, I know, Im crazy! My oldest will go to school soon so that will leave me with 5 kiddos and my husband has the time right now where he can take my 4 yr old sometimes to help out (hes my hardest!:). I plan my video (p90x, baron babptiste yoga, turbo jam) exercise around their naps and run either in the am before all the kids come (my husband has my 2 and Im thankful I have him!) or in the evening when they go and its a juggling game but I HAVE to get in my workouts or I dont feel complete and my husband and I have a balance of his time and mine (but you could use a sitter or drop in daycare for your time:). As far as taking them with you? We do up to 6 mile hikes with our kids and ya its sometimes hard for them so we take turns piggy backing (and often times its me volunteering as I love the extra burn!) a large 4.5 yr old and ya we did have to build up to that but we hike regularly buttes and trails and small mountains... really really good for the kids and us! I just read about how (in runners world mag) its ok to start with running for my 7yr old and shes interested and that makes me ecstatic! Cant wait to start!

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