If you have children, you understand that staying active with children in our care is not the easiest thing. It was so easy to fit a little workout into our daily routine before our offspring came, wasn't it?
For my part, I went from a full-time athlete, who trained between 2 to 5 hours a day and this, 6 days a week, to a mother and a full-time employee who barely manages to introduce a little 7 minutes of physical activity per day.
Life takes its course and we adapt to changes.
Without pretending to have the absolute truth about THE way to train with children, I offer you some simple tips that could help you fit a little workout into your hectic daily life.
- Jogging / walking in stroller
I love this method because it is beneficial in so many ways! Not only is it super easy to access (you literally leave your home) but it also adapts to all physical levels. What about the dose of fresh air you and your children will get while allowing them to experience the outside environment?
2. Mountain hiking
By far my favorite activity! I admit that it requires a little more logistics than going out in a stroller since for most people, access to hiking trails requires a certain amount of travel by car, but it is well worth the effort!
For me, hiking is a classic every weekend. If your kids are young, you can invest in a backpacking bag. Since you will have the weight of your child on your back, expect a more muscular workout than the stroller and the walking poles will be very beneficial in several ways (extra safety on descents, strengthening your upper body muscle and a little kick. muscle thumb for the legs).
If your children are of walking age, they will love to accompany you and you may be pleasantly surprised at their performance.
Take advantage of bedtime (early morning, nap, late at night) to integrate a little muscle building / cardio session at home. For advice on training at home, it's here.
I admit it to you, we generally take advantage of this period to clean, cook or relax, but of all its activities, training will probably be the one that will satisfy you the most.
You will definitely end up doing your housework, so we suggest you start with training 😉
If you consider the option of condensing your workouts on weekends to make up for the lack of time during the week, you increase your risk of injury and decrease your gains.
It is also possible to incorporate your children into your home training session. Here are some examples :
- do it all in a safe and fun place for your children like the playroom;
- invite your slightly older children to accompany you in your training;
- come up with a special activity that your children could do during your training. You might find a game that is normally unreachable and will keep them occupied for about XNUMX minutes.
Your home workout could be even more enjoyable with free weights to add variety to your workout! We have also developed training bags made with recycled rubber: Altterre.
4. Muscle strengthening at the park
While your children are having fun in the play modules, take the opportunity to do a little weight training using the objects at your disposal. The park benches will allow you to perform a variety of exercises such as "dips", lunges, jumps, pushups, etc., while the monkey bars will allow you to perform "pullups", leg lifts, etc.
5. Swimming
Generally, children love this activity and they will be blessed to have such diversity in their list. Depending on the age of the child, I suggest you install them floats and accompany them in the deep section while you stand still. Difficult to find a more complete exercise!
6. Physical games
When they are older, incorporate active games such as soccer, Canadian ball, hiding, "kick the can", boot hockey, mini-hockey etc. Not only will your kids burn off energy while having fun, they'll be so happy spending quality time with you. For your part, we're talking about a solid interval training session in the pocket!
7. Bike
This activity is still for older kids, but if you can do a little jogging while your kids are on the bike, it's a win / win. Why not take the opportunity to make a return trip to the park?
That being said, it's worth remembering that you need to be flexible in your goals. Indeed, there is a good chance that your workouts will not go as planned for a multitude of reasons: a quarrel between brothers and sisters, a feverish baby, the refusal of your youngest to move forward, because he wet your feet 2 km from your home… the list goes on!
So be indulgent and keep in mind that the important thing, in the end, is to move as a family and set an example for your children.
Let us know your tips for staying active with the kids in the comments!
