The Family that Exercises Together Stays Healthy Together

I often get asked how I find the time to exercise with two boys. I won’t lie, it’s not always easy! Especially now when they have reached the age where they are involved in a lot of different activities and are starting to have social lives.
Regardless of how busy your kids keep you, it’s important to take care of you. After all, how can you take care of everyone else if you’re not at your best? Not to mention, kids tend to mimic their parents, so if they see you making exercise a priority, they are more likely to do so themselves. Here are some great ideas of ways you can exercise with your kids.
Running is a great way to get and stay in shape. Jogging strollers make this something you can even do with babies and toddlers. For the years when the kids refuse to ride in a stroller, but can’t keep up with you, the local track works great. Particularly if it is fenced in. I take my 8 year old to the local high school and when he runs out of steam on the track, he can play on the football field and I don’t need to worry about where he is. This also works in reverse when you can’t keep up with your kids. My 12 year old runs cross country and smokes me, so the track is a great place where we can both get our miles in and I can keep my eye on him.
Bicycling is another great activity that kids love. My kids both loved the trailer and I got a more intense workout in by pulling them. Now they are old enough that we can all ride together. There are some great trails around the Capital District that keep you off the roads, so traffic isn’t a concern.
Kids love martial arts. Turns out, it’s a lot of fun for adults, too. I started my younger son in taekwondo a couple of years ago. After sitting in the audience watching, I decided I could be using that time to get in shape, too. Now we hit the family class together a couple of times a week and both the kids and mom are get a great, fun workout in!
The Adirondacks allow us easy access to a variety of outdoor activities. From hiking, to paddling, to snowshoeing, to skiing, to swimming, the list goes on and on!
There’s no excuse to not get in your exercise with all of these options. You’ll get the added benefit of getting some great family time in, as well!