Exercise with toddler and preschooler!! Please help!!

kathrynarnold
kathrynarnold Posts: 69
edited October 2 in Fitness and Exercise
Can anyone give me any tips on how I can still get my exercise on the weekends when I have my 2 and 3 year olds? My 3 year old goes to preschool during the week so I take my 2 year old for a walk in his stroller, but what kinds of exercise can I get in when I have my hands full with the two of them? Any advice would be great thanks.

Replies

  • angijunbug
    angijunbug Posts: 205
    We do races in the backyard or even through the house. They love when you chase them & when they get to chase you or race you. I found that to work the best. Even playing soccer or kickball is good too! If they nap then you can do a 20 min workout video. (mine do not nap) So I have to get up before they do to do that. Good Luck! :wink:
  • spennato
    spennato Posts: 360 Member
    Go to the local high school track and let the kids play on the football field while you run the track. It is easy to keep an eye on them just make sure they play in the side farthest fro the exit. My track only has exits on 1 side of the field.
  • MissLedford87
    MissLedford87 Posts: 32
    i have a 5,6 and 1 yr old. and when i first started working out i was using the wii. the wii active is a good game to use. :]
  • jimmacdonald
    jimmacdonald Posts: 93 Member
    Try a bike with a attachable kid trailer.

    http://www.target.com/p/M-Wave-Child-Luggage-Trailer/-/A-12034593

    http://www.rei.com/search?cat=4500119&search=Kids'+Bike+Trailers

    I found on on ebay.

    You get to bike they get outside,

    Good Luck.
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    Dance in the living room. Follow the leader. Have a marching band parade with shakers and drums. My kids like to do Wii Fit with me.

    If all else fails, have them play in their room for 30 minutes. Or work out during a nap. Or wake up early in the morning before they do (although that never works for me, because my kids are such light sleepers).
  • autiemommy
    autiemommy Posts: 238
    Well i have a 9, 5, and 3 y/o. I agree the wii.. Its fun and they can play along with you to zumba just dance, ea active all that. I also got one of the walk at home dvds from leslie sansone. And the kids play in the room while i do it and sometimes they walk too.
  • christmre
    christmre Posts: 109 Member
    Not sure how you would log it, but tag, simon says, jumping jacks, have them do stretching with you, use the kids as weights, like playing airplane, dance with the kids, hope that helps, you can find lots of ideas on about.com :) good luck!
  • autiemommy
    autiemommy Posts: 238
    Or wake up early in the morning before they do (although that never works for me, because my kids are such light sleepers).



    My kids are too lol. I try gettting up at 430 a hour before they have too but no matter what i try its like they smell im awake. lol...
  • tuneses
    tuneses Posts: 467 Member
    I do videos in the house. Wait till my younger one naps then pop in a DvD for my 2 year old. I also got a bike trailer so i take them both for a ride. I also go for walks with either the double stroller or I wear my younger one and use the single stroller for the older one. I let the older one walk too so he can get exercise.
  • Amo_Angelus
    Amo_Angelus Posts: 604 Member
    Not sure if there's anything like this now, but around the early 90s Barbie released a dance video using a stop animation Barbie and a young woman to lead the class, they did some aerobics and dance, the video was aimed at the Barbie audience, but the moves were some that we used in every aerobics class I ever went to, just a bit...simpler. So it would have been very easy to get little kids excercising with Barbie while the adult does the "same" routine only to a higher impact...
  • amybluefish
    amybluefish Posts: 82 Member
    I got myself an inexpensive double stroller and walked! (I have a 5 year old and 3 year old that I always have to exercise with)
  • MJ7910
    MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
    i have a toddler and i wait until she's asleep around 8pm and do the jillian michaels 30day shred. only takes 30 minutes.
  • asyouseefit
    asyouseefit Posts: 1,265 Member
    Exercise during nap time or in the evening when they're in bed! I'm doing the 30 Day shred. It's great cos it's only 25 minutes so I can exercise and still do other stuff like cleaning/putting away toys/relax/troll MFP :)
  • ClascyParra
    ClascyParra Posts: 85
    -I put on the cable music stations on the television and we dance in the living room
    -I go outside if the weather is nice and jump rope with my 5 year old
    -we have a hula hoop competition
    -if you have a yard, let the kids play with a ball while you do sprints from one end of the yard to the other.
    -burpees or any exercise for that matter,and let the kids count your reps. When my older daughter was little I would count my reps out loud....by the time she was 2 she was able to count to 20 with no problem. And Instead of doing reps to 10 and then starting back at 1 I would start the next set at 11, 21, 31 etc....made her learning to count to 100 a breeze and challenged me to get to 100 of any exercise!)
    Now I do the same thing with my 13 month old....she can count to 5 already LOL.
    Hope this helps!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    Can anyone give me any tips on how I can still get my exercise on the weekends when I have my 2 and 3 year olds? My 3 year old goes to preschool during the week so I take my 2 year old for a walk in his stroller, but what kinds of exercise can I get in when I have my hands full with the two of them? Any advice would be great thanks.
    I'm sure they sleep for an hour a day, so exercise then. And most gyms will watch kids for up to 2 hours a day. I find letting them get sat by the child care at the gym is good because they get to interact with other children and when it comes time to go to school, it's easier for them to understand being left for awhile. I took my daughter to the gym at 6 months old daily (I'm a stay at home dad) for an hour and a half. And believe me, that 1 hour you spend ON YOURSELF is needed for you.
    As for exercises stick with basics at home, squats, push ups, planks, burpees, jumping jacks. There are many online that don't require weights. Go to bodybuilding.com and checkout the exercises list and just put a check mark on body weight exercises.
  • ShannaB83185
    ShannaB83185 Posts: 441 Member
    Wii!! It's great cause you can give the kids a remote without it turned on and they can "play" with you! Also remember cleaning counts and adds calories back to your daily allowance of calories. Going for walks with the stroller is great exercise to. Every bit counts!!!
  • mrsmccullen07
    mrsmccullen07 Posts: 159
    I have a 40lb 4 year old and a 25lb 1 year old that I push in the double stroller on my days I dont have to push both of them I do C25K my days I do have to push them both I will either walk 2 miles or attempt the C25K Week One lol I haven't gotten past it with the stroller yet ... My boys love going out in the stroller =)
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