Work out for parents

When you’re running a household that includes young children and teens, it can be hard to get away for a workout.

If you’re desperate for fitness but can’t seem to find the time, all you need is some planning and a little creativity. Here are some tips for parents with children and teens:

1. Exercise with your kids. If your kids are old enough, let them bike while you run or rollerblade. Hiking makes for a fun family activity that keeps everyone shape. Or, create a fitness course in the backyard, complete with jump rope, jumping jacks, and pushup stations.

If you’re looking for the right equipment to use for exercising with the kids, then you could think about getting Trampoline Scooters or perhaps a trampoline for the garden. You want to make exercise as interesting as possible for your kids, and so it’s worth doing something a little different than just going out for a walk. By incorporating different types of equipment and fitness options, you make it more interesting for your kids to join in.

2. Purchase some exercise videos. Yoga, Pilates, low-impact aerobics, and kickboxing can all be done on your living room floor with little or no equipment. Before you buy, rent a few from your local video store or check them out from the library to see which ones you like.

3. Improvise. If you miss your aerobics class because of a marathon naptime, pop in an exercise video or do lunges in the backyard with the baby monitor hooked to your pants. Don’t stress if you don’t get that perfect workout in every time. With exercise, doing some is always better than doing none.

4. Most importantly, put exercise on your “to-do” list. Make it a priority. If that means getting up an hour early for a run, then set the alarm and go for it. You’ll benefit in countless ways, plus you’ll be a happier, more peaceful parent for your kids.