How busy parents can find time for exercising
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11. Combine errands and exercise. Bike ride with your child, pull your child in a wagon, put him in a back carrier, or walk to the places you need to go. Don't circle to find the closest parking spot in the mall: walking counts as exercise! Instead of squeezing in a lunch date with a friend, exercise together. This will save money and calories, and still allow for quality time together.
12. Morning lift off. Getting up a few minutes earlier in the morning can provide you with some quiet time to exercise before the kids wake up. If you’re not usually an early riser, start with a yoga DVD to slowly wake you up and get your body energized. Start walking your kids to school. This is a great way to get a few minutes of movement in the morning, and still spend time with your children!
13. Take advantage of TV time and phone time. If you have a favorite television show that you watch regularly or find yourself watching a movie with the kids, don’t just sit on the couch during it. Yoga positions, leg lifts, sit-ups, push-ups, or stretching enable you to get in your exercise time as well. Talking away on the telephone? Take advantage of the time to stretch!
14. Make chores count. Build exercise into daily chores: Stand on your tiptoes while making dinner or do squats while folding laundry.
15. Working parents: exercise over lunch or on the road. Join a gym near work and exercise over lunch, or use lunchtime to walk or run. Even a 20-minute swim can leave you feeling re-energize and ready to face the rest of the workday! Traveling for work: Pack some sneakers and shorts, and hit the hotel gym first thing in the morning.
16. Take classes together with your kids. Enroll in a class with your child: I did as I found myself bored week after week sitting in the hallway outside my kids' karate class. My kids thought it was a riot when I joined the class with the master instructor's permission, especially given my pathetic punches and kicks at first! But, then four years later my kids were cheering me on as I earned my brown belt alongside them! So from tennis to yoga, enroll together.
17. Enroll in a “mommy and me” exercise classes for new moms. These classes enable you to exercise with your baby, along with introducing you to other new moms who can become workout partners as your children get older.
18. Enlist help from a trainer. You can even split training workouts with a friend. Having an hour of exercise directed by a physical trainer can really jumpstart strength and cardio training. Even a few sessions can jumpstart you into a more structured workout routine.
19. Gardening counts. Go out, dig up some weeds, plant some fall mums, and start raking up the early leaves: all exercise while you do not even pay attention. Gardening involves squatting, lifting, digging, bending, and hauling yard refuse bags.
20. Give one exercise-related gift at birthdays and the holidays. From a new bat or bike for your child to three sessions with a trainer for your spouse, having one exercise-related gift makes a great family tradition and reinforces the importance your family places on staying fit and healthy.
21. Even little things can make a difference. Always take the stairs instead of the elevator at work. Or park at furthest end of the parking lot when going shopping. The extra walking can count as part of your workout! And remember this: if you work in just a 10-minute workout each day, by month's end you will have exercised over 300 minutes!
Stacy DeBroff is the founder of Mom Central and author of several parenting books, including “The Mom Book: 4,278 Tips for Moms.” For more information on parenting, check out Mom Central’s Web site.
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