Working out is a staple in a healthy lifestyle. Maybe before you had children, the gym was your second home. You could go after work and spend hours just working on your fitness. Maybe you hardly saw the gym before you had kids and you just recently got the fitness bug. Bottomline: When you have kids, your life changes and your fitness never mattered more. Want proof? Look nor further than stars like Britney [1] or Pink [2] and you'll see how important your gym time is when you become a mom.
Sarah Chadwell [3], one of our fitness experts, NASM CPT, and mom of two boys, says, "Having children creates even more meaningful reasons to work out. It's a great stress reliever, a healthy practice for all of you, and it shows your kiddos the importance of including fitness in your life in a fun way."
With both adult and childhood obesity on the rise, it's never too early to get the whole family into fitness. When exercise is viewed as fun and not as a chore, it's more likely to stick as a normal, life-long practice.
Our best advice is to use your children as resistance. Yes, really! From the time your children are babies, you can include them in your workouts. Chadwell said, "Children make adorable resistance equipment and using them in your exercise routines creates positive associations and memories that revolve around exercise." Try some of these moves with your kiddos.
Weighted Planks
Get on the floor in plank position and let your little one (or little ones) sit or lie on your back. According to Chadwell: "They usually don't hold still, so your planks become quite the challenge."
If your kids don't quite weigh enough to challenge you in a regular plank, step your game up and do walking planks. This will give you variation and give your kids a real ride on your back. Even if you feel you're not getting long planks or enough weight, don't worry because you'll be working on your stability more than any other plank just by balancing your kids!
Kiddie Crunches
Lie on the floor on your back. Lift your legs into the air and bend your knees at a 90-degree angle. Let your child sit on your feet facing you. Their tummy will almost be parallel to the floor and their legs should dangle down. They are basically straddling your lower legs. Now begin your crunches. "You can add in kisses, funny growls, or tickle their ribs at the top of motion on each crunch," Chadwell added.
Squats!
There are multiple ways to squat with your kids. You can hold them on your back like little monkeys. You can set them on top of your shoulders, or you can hold them in front of you lying across your arms. This gives you some variation and differing weight distribution options for squats.
Chadwell said, "Leg day is my favorite! I love doing squats with both of my sons on my back. They also really get a kick out of it. Their giggling says it all."
Overhead Press
Hold your child with both hands facing you. You can keep your elbows planted at your ribs. Have your feet in a wider squat stance. Complete a squat. On your return to starting position, lift your child into the air over your head. "This move will probably wear you out pretty quickly," said Chadwell. Be sure to have a good handle on your little one and you'll feel every inch of this move.
Push-ups
"Even if you have to do girl push-ups, let your child sit on your back while you do them," suggested Chadwell. If that's still too hard, Chadwell advises that you "let them lie underneath you while you do push-ups so you can give them kisses or tummy blows at the bottom of each rep." Remember that push-ups aren't a move to just bang out as quickly as you can, so be sure to do each rep slow and you'll see benefits in no time.