Exercising with Children

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MichelleHub1976
MichelleHub1976 Posts: 4 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
To all you MFP Fitness Feaks out there, I need a little help....

I am not normally into exercise but I have really been getting into riding on my exercise bike. I try to do around 40 minutes per day but as I have three young children I often get interrupted. I do try to do 40 minutes continuous but I have had days where I do two lots of 20 minutes or even four lots of 10 minutes. I know 40 minutes uninterupted would be better, but is 4 lots of 10 minutes ok to????? Any exercise is better than nothing right??

Many thanks!

Replies

  • tanias001
    tanias001 Posts: 41 Member
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    Depending on the ages of your children may be you could take them out for a walk with you. If they are old enough to ride bikes they could ride and you could walk or every one rides. Or if your children go down for a nap try and fit in even 20 mins at a time if that is easier.
    I used to walk kilometres a day when my kids where little. One used to be in the pram and the other used to sit on a seat in the pram. We used to have great walks, we used to meet my husband half way on is home way from work just about every day.
    I hope this helps
  • katemateg
    katemateg Posts: 334 Member
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    They reckon these days that that's the better way to do it anyway. Try to work really hard in whatever short time you have and it will start getting you fitter. People that stay for hours on cardio equipment don't often put as much in to it as they are 'pacing themselves'. I have found when using a heart rate monitor that it is when the resistance is higher and the leg spin is therefore slower that you are actually working the hardest. Spinning really fast with no resistance doesn't actually challenge the body that much. The same with walking. If I walked up a hill or a long a pebbly beach my HR would be as raised as if I was running, whereas normally it wouldn't get that high. Maybe take the kids to the park too for a run around and you do some press ups and burpees whilst you are there??
  • alyssa92982
    alyssa92982 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    That's better than sitting on a couch 40 min:-) I sometimes have to break up my workouts to because my 9 mos old won't sit still for an hour
  • MichelleHub1976
    MichelleHub1976 Posts: 4 Member
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    Thanks maybe I will try to push harder for the shorter periods like you suggested. I will see what each day brings, I will probably end up alternating between 40 min continuous and then 40x 10min. We often go to the park and play frisbee. Don't think I could do a press up though, not much upper body strength. What's a burpee???? I'm from Australia and never heard that expression??

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