This week, when my husband goes out of town for a few days, I'm going to be a single mother. No, you didn't miss anything; I don't have kids yet. But I do have a dog, which is kind of like having a kid. She needs to be fed and exercised twice a day, taken outside for potty breaks, cleaned up after, and watched so that she doesn't put hazardous items into her mouth—so there are definitely similarities. My husband and I typically share the responsibility of caring for Ginger, but most of the load falls on his shoulders. He's the one who walks her every morning while I sleep (tough life, I know), and goes home straight after work three nights a week to let her out again (while I teach fitness classes at the gym). But when he's gone, I'm on my own to wake up earlier, stop by in the middle of the day, and walk the dog again after a full hour of exercise at my second job as a fitness instructor. On those days, I'm a single mother to our furry kids, which definitely puts a wrench into my usual routine. I know there are far worse problems to have than caring for a loving pet. Unlike a real baby, it's easy for me to exercise with the dog. When I go for a walk or run, I can always bring her as my workout buddy. And if I want to do a DVD at home, she pretty much just lies there watching me, totally perplexed, for as long as I want to exercise. But parents of actual human kids don't always have the same freedom. You can't leave the baby in the backyard while you lift weights at the gym, and you can't bring children of every age with you during a long run on a cold fall morning. You have to make adjustments and sacrifices to your life—and your workout routine. Sometimes when I think about my future life as a mom (hypothetically speaking), I wonder how I'll ever find the right balance of fitting in exercise while caring for kids. Just as I was thinking about this today, I saw a great news clip from our local FOX 19 station that featured four exercises you can do with your kids. Not only are these challenges moves for an adult to squeeze into his or her day, but they're FUN activities that your child will actually enjoy doing. Check out the four exercise ideas in this video clip below. If you have problems viewing the video, click here to try it on FOX 19's website. Featuring local fitness expert Mary Beth Knight and her 5-year-old daughter Mazie. What struck me most about these offerings was that they were creative and child-centered. Rather than a lot of exercises you see geared toward parents, these exercises seem more like child-friendly games that happen to offer good exercise for parents and children alike—not a bad idea if you're a busy mom or dad trying to squeeze in exercise along with child care. Parents: Has having children affected your workout routine? Do you ever try to exercise WITH your kids? Will you try these ideas? |
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