Regardless of whether you are a working parent or a stay-at-home mom you surely know that raising your kids is a full-time job. Sometimes your schedule can get so chaotic that even washing your hair seems like a huge achievement! So how can you get in shape and do your workouts when you can’t get 10 minutes to yourself?
It is a known fact that we all need to exercise and eat well in order to stay healthy. You can even read about the benefits of consistent exercise on borncute.com. But when your little ones always require your attention, committing to a workout regime seems impossible. However, having kids doesn’t mean you need to give up on your fitness. Instead of looking at your workout routine as ‘me time’, turn it into ‘we time’. By incorporating your children into your exercises, you can kill two birds with one stone. This way you will keep your kids entertained and keep an eye on them while working those muscles and coming one step closer to achieving your goal. Here are several amazing exercises you and your child can do together.
Push-ups
It is very likely that push-ups are a regular part of your workout routine. If you want to take this exercise to a whole new level, put your child on your back while doing it and you will easily strengthen your upper body. When you are in the proper push-up position with your hands underneath your shoulders, your legs straight and extended, and your feet firmly on the ground tell your kid to climb on top of your back. Make sure to keep your core tight as you lower your body and keep it in a straight line as you push away from the floor. Holding onto you like a little monkey as they go up and down will be incredibly fun to your kid, while their weight will work your muscles even harder. And if this is too intense, simply modify it by dropping down to your knees! Just make sure you’re back is flat and your hips are tucked under, in order to protect your spine.
Squats
You have probably seen how people at the gym are using all kinds of weights to add a whole new dimension to their workout, especially when they are doing squats. Well, instead of weights, use your child as your workout equipment. Before you start squatting, ask your kid to climb onto your back and put their arms around your neck. Hold their hands to keep them safe and start exercising! Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and then lower your hips until they are in line with your knees. When you reach that position push straight back up, making sure your knees always stay behind your toes (in order to protect your joints).
The Plank
Plank is one of the best exercises out there since it improves your posture by strengthening your back, chest, shoulders, neck, and abs. If you want to maximize its effect, try doing it with your child on your back. This exercise is pretty simple to do. Just get into the push-up position and have your kid climb on your back. Place your elbows directly beneath your shoulders, with your forearms on the floor, bent at a 90-degree angle, keeping your arms parallel to each other, in a figure-11. Make sure your body is forming a straight line from your head to your toes. You can also do this up on your palms, as if preparing for a push-up. Try to stay in this position for as long as possible for the best results.
Sit-ups
Have you always envied those women who have amazing washboard abs? If so, try doing sit-ups with your kid and you will speed up the whole process. When you lay down with your knees bent and your feet placed on the ground ask your child to put their hands on your knees and apply pressure. This way your feet will be anchored and you will be able to do the exercise properly. Now you can slowly sit up so that you are facing your little one and then lay back down.
By incorporating your child into your workouts you will be able to exercise without worrying about their safety or getting interrupted every five minutes. Plus, you will speed up your results so it’s really a win-win!
Looking for more exercises with your littles (but that don’t actually feel like they are?!), then check out this previous post about “Workouts” That Parents and Children Can Do Together.
