How much fitness would you say you do per week? Maybe half an hour, if you manage to add up all the bits and pieces of fitness activities you end up doing by accident? That’s quite common in the parenting world!
You’re rarely ever off your feet when you’re running around after the kids, and trying to live a healthy lifestyle just doesn’t quite make it into your top priorities.
Spending some time on your long term wellness just doesn’t seem to be quite as important in the moment as cooking dinner, helping with homework, keeping the house clean, going grocery shopping, breaking up a fight between siblings, answering the phone to your boss… really, there’s just so much more going on that takes up your attention!
And let’s face it, fitness can be quite boring as well! Very few fitness or wellness trends end up being enjoyable things we look forward to. As such, even if we did have the time and energy to dedicate to fitness, we probably still wouldn’t!
However, once upon a time it was very, very easy to stay in prime shape. It’s something you also notice your kids being able to do without any real trouble. And that’s because back in the day, when you were a kid yourself, fitness was a fun thing!
It wasn’t calorie counting and watching your protein intake and making sure you did enough reps on the circuit. It was something fun, like playing a game, going in the paddling pool in the garden, or singing silly rhymes while using a skipping rope.
So let’s try and get fitness back to that place. It’s possible, even when you’re an adult who doesn’t seem to have much time for fun in the schedule.
Don’t Buy Boring Workout Gear
Have you noticed that a lot of the workout gear designed for adults is quite boring? It’s the same three colors over and over again – blue, black, and grey (with the occasional burgundy), and that gets pretty stale after you’ve been through half the racks in the clothing store.
But there’s more fun workout gear out there, trust us on that! The kind of gear that’s more brightly colored, coming in plenty of different patterns, and is a lot more comfortable to wear.
The Mom Edit even has a guide to finding workout pants that aren’t skin tight; check it out if that’s the issue that always makes you hate putting any fitness clothing on.
And if you’ve got a load of boring and unusable workout gear just taking up space in your wardrobe, sell it all on to someone who does like it for what it is. Don’t keep things that feel bad!
Follow Your Kids’ Lead
Or in truth, follow the lead of anyone working with your children! Indeed, if your kids have some sport based activities they do on a regular basis, pay attention to how their group leader or instructor paces the session or lesson.
If they go to swimming classes on a regular basis, watch the way the leader incorporates fun games and activities into the class, and if the kids are allowed any free time to use the pool near the end. This is a great structure for maintaining children’s interest, and it achieves the right rhythm for pacing their energy.
You can then take this principle and use it in your own way. For example, following along with a Peloton session for half an hour, and then the last 15 minutes or so, you get put the bike away, whack on your favorite tunes, and just dance in whatever way you like.
You put in some hard graft, you take a quick break, and then you get to have fun while still being on your feet, burning calories, and using your muscles!
Take the Kids Along with You
Your kids’ imaginations can often help you to find some more fun in whatever it is you do. Taking the kids to the grocery store with you, for example, can make it a lot more enjoyable to shop for a meal plan.
Ask them to go off and find an ingredient each, and don’t worry about the very mixed results you might end up with here. No matter what it is they bring back, set yourself the challenge of finding an edible dinner to make using them. If you do, you’ll probably find that your usual meal prep task for the week ahead was much more fun than you were expecting!
The same goes for any exercise you’re thinking of doing. Take the kids along with you and see how they approach it.
If you decide you want to go for a run, ask them where they think the best place to run is and then go there. If this means you’re going round the park, or even through the forest, so be it!
Of course, you may not want to go the same distance you usually would, as the kids are unlikely to be able to keep up. But once again, this could be good for you too, as it’ll make you much more raring to go tomorrow!
Fitness Can Be Fun, and You Deserve to Enjoy it!
Following a fitness routine doesn’t have to be the stuffy numbers game you’ve been led to believe it should be. Instead, make it a fun thing you and the kids can get involved in together. It’s always more fun to follow their lead, and let yourself play a silly game, or go down the swimming pool a couple times a week and just splash around.
You don’t need to get your length and widths in, you just need to be in the water and moving! And don’t forget that boring workout gear is only going to uninspire you even further! Buy clothes you’re happy and comfortable to wear, even if they’re loud in color and will certainly get you noticed when you jog by.
