Fit Parents are Natural Cross-Trainers
Posted on Jul 3rd 2009 11:00AM by Bev Sklar
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| Photo: Qole Pejorian, Flickr |
Here are ideas for your next Fit Family Summer Assignment:
- Consider This Book. "Fit Family: The Infant, Toddler, and Preschool Years" is a recent 2008 release to inspire family fitness during your kids' most formative, needy years, which just happen to be when your fitness habits are most at risk.
- Now Plan It. Organize family bike rides, hikes and swim adventures. Find family-friendly routes -- the track or a car-free trail are terrific for new bike riders or a jog stroller. A quality baby backpack is a great investment.
- Invite Them. Whether you're embarking on a walk, jog, hour of yoga, at-home weightlifting session or popping in a fitness DVD, regularly invite your kids to join you. They learn fast, and they want to be with you. Consider family time or one-on-one special time with your kids as a chance to schedule fitness together.
- Buy the Treadmill. Parents need at-home cardio to fold in fitness. Hauling kids to the gym can be impossible some days, especially during cold/flu season. Besides, they'll actually witness you working out instead of sitting in a sterile room packed with runny noses.
- The Subtle Invitation. Whether you're jumping on the treadmill, the resistance bench or the yoga mat, have kid-friendly fitness gear scattered around (hula hoop, light weights, ab roller, resistance bands, a second yoga mat).
- Rely On Friends. Sneak in fitness while friends step up to supervise. Go to the pool with a friend and slice away 30 laps while she watches your kids. Switch.
- Bird or Owl Training. On the days you must have solo sweat time, work out early with the birds or pump iron late with the owls. Hopefully your kids are typical, diurnal sleepers and you have small windows of time to yourself. Remember, putting your kids on a strict sleep schedule is about your fitness sanity, too.
Finally, you're going to need acceptance. Let's face it, between the infant to early tween years, your fit habits -- and your attitude -- will need to change. You can resent baby intrusion or view family fitness accommodations as a fantastic parenting opportunity benefiting both you and your children. Sometimes your best plans will kid-factor explode. So what? You'll also have those unforgettable, glorious moments when everyone is challenged and happy.
Fit Family Summer Assignment: Adapt one of your favorite pre-kid workouts to include your kids. Call it a family cross-training session and keep it positive, no matter how many kid fit-interruptions (dirty diaper, stubbed toe, dropped sippy).
