I constantly hear protests from Mums who say they don’t have time to exercise – that they’re exhausted by the time the kids are in bed and don’t get enough sleep to have energy for exercise! So here’s some exercise motivation for Mums and Mini-mes.
There’s a reason it’s called running around after your kids – being a mum can be surprisingly good exercise, if you just change a few things and incorporate exercise into time spent with your kids.
Exercise isn’t only important for adults – children need just as much exercise as adults, if not more. It helps keep them at a healthy weight, improves their energy levels (and therefore their mood), gives them more self-confidence and helps them stay strong and healthy as they grow.
The advent of video games and computers has unfortunately cut down on the time kids used to spend playing outside and being active.
So how do you get your kids to exercise?
It’s simple – exercise WITH them! Nothing helps a child create good habits better than having a great example. So many mums protest that they don’t have enough time to exercise but in reality, exercise is easy to not only squeeze in around your life, but actually make part of your life.
Motivate yourself and your children with these fun ideas of active things to do together:
Exercise motivation for Mums and Mini-mes
Dance yourself silly!
Kids LOVE to jump around and dance to music – so throw on something fun and upbeat and have a dance party in your house!
You’ll be surprised by how much exercise you actually get, while your kids will be well and truly tuckered out. There’s nothing like collapsing to the ground giggling after dancing around like crazy people together.
Fast rollers
Go rollerblading or skating, or take the kids on a bike ride – as we head into spring, there are so many opportunities to get outside for fun activities. Just make sure you’re wearing helmets and protective gear!
Pet power
Take a leaf out of your dog’s book and get excited for walks! Not only will your four-legged friend be thrilled to go for a stroll, you and your kids will get great exercise too. Try racing between lampposts to amp up the effectiveness (and wear the dog out well and truly).
Educational exercise
Head to the zoo or the museum for a day instead of taking the kids to the movies – not only will you walk around all day, they’ll learn something too!
Working woman (and kids)
Make your kids chore champions! There’s a reason Mary Poppins got Jane and Michael Banks to do so many chores – she made it fun! So add in that Spoonful of Sugar (metaphorically speaking) so that both you and your children will WANT to do them.
Turn on music while you clean, get out in the garden when the weather’s nice, or turn it into a fun contest to see who can clean their room the quickest. Vacuuming the house can burn 260 calories, so it certainly isn’t a lazy task!
School shaping
Instead of dropping your kids off at school, walk with them to and from school or at least to and from the bus stop. It’ll give you a chance to spend quality time talking to them as well as getting you both fit.
No more square eyes!
Stop staring at those screens – that means all of you! It’s no good telling kids they can’t keep playing video games or surf the internet if you spend all the time you have with them checking your phone constantly.
Challenge yourself to put your phone away for at least a couple of hours each day and focus on getting active with your kids. They will be so thrilled that you’re giving them the attention they deserve, that they will be more enthusiastic about joining in with whatever you want them to do.
Goal-getter
Involving your kids in goal setting will help you stay motivated and actually reach your goals – after all, it’s a bit embarrassing to have your kids reach a goal that you don’t!
Register for a fun run or walk that you can train for together, or make an activities plan and stick to it!
Getting fit can only improve your relationship with your kids – it will give you more energy, help you feel better about yourself and set a fantastic example for the most important people in your life.
More than anything, kids want to spend time with their parents (well, perhaps until they hit adolescence anyway!). Nothing motivates them more than getting to have fun with you – so let that prompt you to get moving and help keep yourself and your kids healthy and happy.
