As you know from this post, I've been doing the Jenny Craig program (I've stuck to it - a few bumps, mainly due to work travel, but I'm making progress). Part of this program - and life - is working in exercise into my life. I've always loved to workout and I grew up playing sports, but since becoming a mother with my career only getting busier, I have had a hard time finding the time.
I've also begun to think more about how to instill healthy habits in my children. In the summer, it's easy to keep them active - and stay active with them - with a mix of sports in the backyard and lots of outdoor activities, like family walks.
Children's Mercy shares 10 tips to keep kids active in the Winter here, and I'm finding that these are great tips for how I can also stay active WITH my kids - and get the wild energy out of them by bedtime ;). I still strive to get to the gym for a "real" workout a couple of times a week, but if I can blend my mom time with a workout, plus set a good example to an active lifestyle with my kids, that'll ease a lot of my own stress (about my own schedule, being with my kids enough and their wellbeing).
Some of our favorite ways to stay active together in the cooler months:
1. The most fun - dancing! We play music videos via Vevo's YouTube channel, or my favorite, dance to choreographed videos via The Fitness Marshall - and get an amazing workout in by dancing. We laugh and move, and it's just all around fun. I even do these dance workouts alone during naptime - it's truly a great workout! You can even make a YouTube playlist of all your favorite dance videos so you don't have to search each time. Check out mine, here!
2. Bundle up and head to the park. Well, at least on the days that it's not toooooooo cold, especially when I can tell the kids need some fresh air and have lots of wiggles, we bundle up and go to the park. Bonus! We usually have the park to ourselves... Liam loves to play tag, so that gets me sprinting (he is surprisingly fast!) along with them.
3. Doing Yoga. For real! Kids are actually naturals when it comes to yoga. I think as we grow older, we teach ourselves out of the ability - slowly developing weaker cores, poor postures and tighter range of movement. I want to keep my kids doing yoga, so they retain those strengths, and it's something you can easily do at home (once you know the basics and have pretty good form) with YouTube videos or sequence printouts. You can also try this DVD for kids specifically.
4. Play 'Simon Says' - One of Liam's new favorite games! This is a great way to get them to be active, and then let them turn the tables onto you! I especially like having them hop on one leg, crawl towards me, shake their booties and skip around the house! ;)
5. Indoor Bouncing - If your space allows, get a trampoline (that we also move to the backyard during the summer months) for your basement/play space, or even a blow up bounce house if you have a lot of space (you can also then deflate and put away!). My kids love to bounce, and it's a great - and quick - way to expend some energy. More for them, less for me, though!
Do you have any tips for keeping active in the winter months or with your kids?
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This post is in partnership with Children's Mercy Hospital of Kansas City!
All opinions are my own!
