Working In Fitness

We all know that exercise is the magic bullet for so many maladies that plague the modern parent: stress, sleep deprivation, lack of stamina to keep up with these constantly moving little maniacs (okay, maybe that’s just me), but finding a way to stay active along with the 19 million other things you need to get done in a day can be difficult. And while kid chasing certainly keeps you going, it doesn’t really count as the 30 minutes of moderate exercise we’re supposed to get on most days.

Gaiam (the people who bring us those yummy Rodney Yee yoga videos as well as the best Pilates ones I have ever tried) offers up some interesting tips on their blog. What makes this different from the bajillion other pieces of advice out there is that it actually breaks it down by age instead of just giving vague advice like “Babies love sit-ups!”

For example, it suggests dancing with babies and toddlers (mine love this). If you’ve got school-age kids, they recommend keeping comfy clothes and shoes in your car so you can squeeze in a quick walk while you wait for a sports practice or lesson to be over. Such a no-brainer but not something I would have thought of (and quite honestly I am more likely to use the time to read or make a phone call, but I like the idea anyway!).

The only thing that’s allowed us to get regular workouts in, though, is free drop-in childcare at our local Y. They get to play with other kids, I get a break and we get some sweaty exercise in all at once.