exercise and kids

emmynchris

i have 3 children 6 4 and 11 months i try to exercise daily but most days i just dont get around to it i have tried the gym it worked for a few months than got to expensive for babysitter and than the membership i was just wonder what some of yall do for exercise i also work part time and a ful time student

bmskid

Do anything! Get some DVDs (target has some for as low as $6), walk, jog inside your house, jump, jumping jacks, jump rope, body weight exercises, dance....do ANYTHING! You CAN fit in exercise. Maybe not 60 minutes at once, but you can do 15 minutes here and there. As long as your heart rate elevates, you're exercising. It doesn't have to be perfect, or a particular system, or a particular plan. Anything is better than nothing!

DVDs I "go-to": Jillian Michaels shed and shred, Tae Bo Bootcamp, hip hop abs (much easier than the others)

dmurphy1975

Take the family out to a local park. Hiking, walking, or just playing with the kids on the playground is great exercise and quality family time.

TiredMom12

I was having the same problem trying to juggle my 3 kids, working and exercising. I finally just joined the gym in the building where I work and go during lunch and take them with me on the days I'm home. On the weekends, I leave the kids with my husband and go for an hour. I don't go as regularly as I should, but getting in 3x a week and running 3 miles now. I don't have the discipline to workout at home. I have so many chores and things to do and the kids running around makes it very hard.

emmynchris

i agree at home is very hard and my boyfriend works two full time jobs so he literally in never home except for when he is sleeping so i guess i will have to figure out something we cant really go to parks and things right now to cold for the little one

maddymama

I used to wake up a half an hour earlier and do 30 Day Shred or similar DVD before the kidlets woke up.
A year later, when my oldest started kindy, I threw the youngest in a jogging stroller and started running a few days a week. I got our single jogger free from a neighbor, and later added a good double jogger we got cheap from Craigslist.

twinmom01

a few things - DVDs are good - I started with some of the Biggest Loser ones...some take just 1/2 hour...hard to carve out some time - but you just have to do it.

Also if you happen to have a smartphone or a tablet - check out Nike Fitness Trainer app - lots of good workouts with minimal eqipment needed.

jamfan

My gym has child care. I dont know what I would do without it. The kids love it & it makes it way easier. The hardest part is getting them dressed & in the car.

peilover010202

I have 4 kids. My youngest is 3 mos old. You *can* fit it in if you want to. My hubby works about 70hrs a week, and I work full-time. I workout 4-5x/wk. Because my hubby works so much, I usually can't get to the gym. So, I workout to DVD's at home. I have several Jillian Micheal's (30 day shred, no more trouble zones). I also have a few biggest loser ones.

I do to the gym 1x/wk for a spin class too, just to hold myself accountable.

I really try to fit my workouts in 30 min increments. Sometimes that means my kids watch a TV show while I'm doing it in another room. 2 of my kids actually like to watch and even do some of it too (which is really fantastic!!)

It sounds like your best option is to commit to working out at home to DVD's for the time being. It is hard to stay motivated, and they can get boring. But, if you want it bad enough, you can definitely do it!

BellaFe

I have 6 kids 2 of which are 11 month old twins. I make the time. I lift weights and have a spin bike and I do it all at home while they nap.
My husband also works.

If you really want it you will make it happen.

mjswalters

I picked the only gym in town with a kids' room for this very reason. If I had to wait to go until my schedule sync'd with my husband's, I'd never get there. The DVDs and such are good suggestions, but I know, FOR ME, they wouldn't work. Part of the reason I went to the gym early in this journey is because I was paying for it!

norcal_yogi

I used to wake up a half an hour earlier and do 30 Day Shred or similar DVD before the kidlets woke up.
A year later, when my oldest started kindy, I threw the youngest in a jogging stroller and started running a few days a week. I got our single jogger free from a neighbor, and later added a good double jogger we got cheap from Craigslist.

this is the kind of thing i did for YEARS (i have 4 kids).

oh and yes, just plan it on your own outside of your partner.... just too hard the other way.

supplemama

When I had my 3rd baby back in the 90s I lost a bunch of weight after he was born mainly from being so busy running after the kids and walking a lot. My kids were 8, 3, and an infant then. My main exercise was packing up the baby and my toddler in a double stroller and just hiking it; we'd go for long walks. Walk my oldest to school, walk to pick her up, walk around the neighborhood while she was at school, walk to the grocery store and back, walk to the library, etc...

I totally understand where you are at because at the time my husband worked 2 jobs and we were both college students, and I worked part-time. It was HARD. Can you get a workout DVD? Get up 30 minutes earlier than the kids and just do it. I know you are probably pressed for sleep as it is but maybe that is something you can do at least 3 days a week.

Lleldiranne

When I was a university student, I would take advantage of the on-campus gym. It was already paid for by my student fees, so I might as well. If you're already up there, I assume you have child care arranged. Do you have time between classes, or before or after?

I also have done a lot of at-home workouts with videos. I get bored with them easily, but I found that I can check them out from the local library for a week at a time for FREE. My older kids sometimes tried to do the videos with me, and I often still put my youngest (15 months, not walking) in his exer-saucer to watch me. I've liked Tae Bo, Jillian Michaels, etc, but there is a huge variety out there. Also check Netflix and even on line (hoping someone else has some links, I've never bothered to look into those) for other sources of free workout videos.

meggonkgonk

Seriously, you can make solutions or you can make excuses.

You can get free exercise vids from everywhere from netflix to youtube.

You can make 10 min dance segments with the kids. Just put on music on like pandora or just any radio station and dance, with the kids, in the living room.

You can put on a 1/2 hour TV show for the kids and do a bodyweight circuit (search nerdfitness beginner bodyweight circuit for one).

You can exercise before they get up or after they go to bed or while they are napping.

Pick one and make it work. Or find another option that you can make work. Use your baby to do arm curls. I bet s/he'd get a kick out of it. I agree with the first poster: ANYTHING is better than nothing.

ETA: It's worth noting that DIET should be your main focus. It has the biggest impact on both weight loss and energy. You do not need to exercise much, just enough to give you enough calories to eat and be satisfied. It's ok to lose slowly while you have so much going on in your lives. But don't let the fact that it is hard impede your willingness to succeed.

omma_to_3

I would get on my treadmill after they were in bed. If you don't have it, get some DVDs and do them once the kids are in bed.

bcattoes

If you have a game system you could try games like Zumba fitness or Just Dance and do them with the kids. Even the 11 mo might enjoy these dance type exercises. Or just turn on some music and dance with the kids. Most kids love music and I've never known one that didn't like to dance (or laugh at Mom dancing).

vicrandom

1) Dance Time with the kids.
2) videos at home.
3) google Robb Wolf (the Paleo guy). You can ignore the Paleo part and check out his exerise advice: wall pushups and chair squats use "equipment" you definitely have in your home; adding a couple of dumbells means you can do some of the other exercises as well.
4) if you can afford it, register the kids in some kind of kid activity at the gym or rec center, and work out while they're in class.
5) instead of bending down, squat. Your butt will stick out (if you're doing it right) and you might feel funny, but daily activities (picking kids up off the floor, picking laundry up off the floor, pulling stuff out of the bottom of the fridge, grabbing stuff off the top shelf) can be translated to an ergonomically sound "fitness" motion. Even if this isn't cardio, it's building extra activity into your day and building your core, which will burn extra calories for you.
6) figuring out what you're rating as "very important" right now that is, when you take a sober look at it, less important than your health (or whatever your goal is with getting active). It sounds like you have a busy life, but guaranteed, there's fifteen to thirty minutes of something stuffed in there that is NOT as important as YOU are.

vicrandom

Wait, totally throw Robb Wolf googling away and replace it with that Nerdfitness thing. A quick glance suggests it involves way less moralizing.

tooliebell

I do all my workouts at home. I have an elliptical, some barbells, and a nice variety of dvds, including tae bo, walk away the pounds, and biggest loser. You may want to pick up a Walk away the pounds dvd. I have one with 5 miles on it that is broken into 5 one mile segments. Each mile is about 12 minutes. If you could fit one in three times a day or twice a day that would be a huge benefit to you. The biggest loser dvds are in segments as well, normally 10-15 minutes. You can do as many as you want or if you just have time for one segement do it.

I have three kids, a full time job, and a husband. Not to mention my kids are involved in many extracurricular activities that we coach, so can't just drop them off. You just gotta make it work. Right now, I am getting up before the kids to get in some time, and then doing it again when I get home. Tomorrow, I won't have anytime when I get home from work, so I'll have to make it up in the morning. Once you get committed you will find it easier to make the time, I promise. In the beginning, I told myself I was going to exercise everyday! YES, everyday! It was summer, so walking was my exercise and I the days were longer so I had lots of time to fit it in. But once I got through that month of exercising EVERYDAY, it was honestly just a habit that I haven't quit so far. 6 months in and yes there have been days I have missed a workout, but I feel it and I know it and I don't like the way I feel when I miss it. Start off with some small goals, like this week I am going to do this. Once you hurdle that goal, make another one.

You can do it, don't let life obstacles get in your way. Small increments totalled up are way better than nothing at all.

dporter1183

My 4 and 7 year olds work out with me. They love it. I think it teaches them about being active and healthy, plus they get so wrapped up in that they motivate me to keep up with my work out routine.

kristanb05

I head to the gym after my husband comes home from work. I go 3-4 days a week. I usually get everyone dinner and ready for bed so he just has to put them in bed. He works about 60 hours at the office a week and then remotely from home once he's here as well. He gets up and goes in the mornings before work. I usually get to the gym around 7 pm.

CALake

My 4 and 7 year olds work out with me. They love it. I think it teaches them about being active and healthy, plus they get so wrapped up in that they motivate me to keep up with my work out routine.

This. Do activities that the kids can do with you, or do your workout during times they're up and can watch you. You're not just improving your life- you're helping to shape their impressions of fitness and healthy living too!

ingeh

I have a 20 month old who loves to try to workout with me. The 10 week old falls asleep watching me so its easy with them. Get your kids involved as I know mine love trying to jog with me or jump around! I would die if I woke up 30mins earlier personally so I fit it in when they are quiet or sleeping. Im getting a stationary bike soon so I can do it when theyre in bed or when its nap time. I can ccle for hours, find somethin you love to do and go with it, good luck x

sara4159

Is there another mom you know with fitness goals that you could trade off kid watching with? You watch all the kids for an hour while she works out, then she watches them for an hour the next day while you go. I know some people who do this for kid-free grocery shopping time.

MemphisKitten

I would go insane with your life.

ejwme

I'll second the nerdfitness bodyweight series, I like his style and his advice is solid. You may not be able to find 30 straight minutes to do a work out, but maybe you can do leg lifts while you hit snooze in the morning, do pushups before breakfast, squats before lunch, run up and down the steps before dinner, and plank before bed. Boom, you just did a 30 minute work out.

Don't forget your local library will likely have some exercise tapes or DVDs to shake things up, and it's free.

If tv is your downtime, you can also turn your favorite tv show into an "Exercise Game" (kind of like Drinking Games from college, but far less destructive...). Every time Alex Trebek says a snooty "I'm sorry" do a push up. Or every time a teenage character rolls their eyes do a squat. When Sponge Bob cackle-laughs, do a burpee. You'll be solid muscle in no time.

You can do this. Don't be afraid to succeed!

katy_trail

http://startnew-habits.tumblr.com/workout

there ya go
tons of workouts on here. I'll never have time to try them all (I didn't make this list)
I found it same way you are, someone on mfp posted a link

Also, for workouts you can do with your kids
just dance or any of the dancing workouts on ps3, xbox, wii etc.
some of the yoga or dancing can be done with the older ones.

also, if you just don't have time do some quick strength training 2 -3 times a week.
15-20 mins. done.
compound exercises like squats, lunges, push ups
even better if you have some dumb bells or resistance bands.
do them as fast as you can with little to no rest in between exercises.

if you think you don't have time for cardio-
jump rope, jump squats, doing either of those for more than a min is very hard.
you could do it while you're waiting for something to cook in the microwave
sometimes I hold the squat position while I wash dishes
just whenever you can find a min, it all helps, really!
and if you just hate doing cardio or don't have time for long workouts
you really can get by with just doing quick strength training.
I wish I had started exercising when mine were younger too,
but you really can do it, and it doesn't have to be expensive or time consuming.

also, if you have any stairs, or something you can use as a step,
that's a great workout too
running up and down the stairs cleaning the house- win-win.

JosieJo2000

I was in the same boat, completely stuck at home. I started running up my driveway and down the neighbour's - looked mad, but worked! I also worked out inside around what I was doing. Lunge walk to the sink to do the dishes, squat while watching TV, bicep curling groceries. I had some cheezy workout DVDs that helped too. I can get out more now but I still use hand weights, a suspension trainer (TRX) and fitball at home, and do exercises like planks, push ups etc.

My whole journey losing weight with kids is here if you want to have a read

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819919-lost-weight-stuck-at-home-pics

katy_trail

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkD9LwDBWW0

M100 is another cardio workout that is super fast, no equipment.
very challenging even if you are advanced,
and if you're not in great shape, just do what you can
and work from there.

Verne12

Hi,

I don't have a lot of time to go to the gym myself, I have little ones 5 and 2. Instead I turn on the Wii and play Just Dance 4, Dance Work Out and any video game that is physically active and fun for the family. I also let the little ones play for a while. They get a workout and go to bed early.