Working Out When You Have Kids- Is It Possible?

If you are a dad or mom that trains and lifts weights, you know that keeping up a workout routine is far more challenging now than ever since you now have kids. Many people think that after they have kids, not much will change- and of course everything does. One thing you probably did not even consider is how difficult it would be to keep up with your training program. Did you even consider the fact that most gyms don’t allow kids, and the ones that do have daycares facilities you wouldn’t even leave your dog at? I bet you also thought that you would be even more active having kids because children are all about the running, jumping, and playing- right? That’s not so much the case, as parents we are often left in the role as supervisor instead of playmate because it’s hard to play games when you seem to be constantly trying to keep your kids from hurting themselves or get in trouble. So, what does one when they want to continue to build strength but their kids can’t really keep up with the lifestyle? The key is to get creative and not give up on building your physic, but to find new ways to keep fit.

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Working out with your kids is great for setting a healthy

Running
I’m a fan of running. It’s not that expensive, has tremendous health benefits, leads to positive changes in body composition and can be done almost anywhere. I’ve trained hard and can go far and fast, yet I still can’t hope to keep up with my kids when they’re on their bikes.

And that’s OK; it makes it fun for them. We head out with instructions for them to stop occasionally and allow me to catch up. They think it’s hilarious to sprint down the path and leave me in their dust. Then they take a break, throw some rocks in the river, climb a tree or search for four-leaf clovers. Then I arrive and we repeat. Since I can run several miles, they’re feeling pretty done-for by the end, and so am I. My wife will often join us either on in-line skates or a bike.

Paddling

Several years ago, I bought a two-seat open-water kayak and christened it “The Marriage Saver.” Our marriage wasn’t in trouble, but it would have been if we had two single-seat boats. My wife’s not slow; I’m just kind of … nuts. Again, when I’m exercising I really don’t like to hold back. The two-seater allows my wife to paddle at her own pace and rest when she likes, and it works just as well when a kid is aboard.

Pretty soon we’re going to buy a second two-seater, and my older and stronger son will paddle with his mom, and my younger daughter will go with me. We should be pretty evenly matched that way. Canoes work for this too.

Karate

I think karate is another great idea. I don’t do it, but my wife and both my kids do. (My wife has a black belt, so I’m hoping she doesn’t take offense at that marriage saver comment.) My son is one belt level below her and my daughter one below that. They’ve been at it for years in a family-oriented dojo that allows parents and kids to take classes alongside each other. I think martial arts are a fantastic choice for kids, because they merge anaerobic and aerobic exercise to develop both strength and endurance, plus flexibility, discipline and a useful defensive skill that I hope they never have to use.

And beyond physical fitness, sports such as karate instill mental toughness and a can-do attitude in young kids.
“It develops a feeling of success, empowerment and self-confidence in children,” said David Jones of Calgary, a 7th degree black belt who has taught karate for 34 years and developed many international champions. The complexity and rigor of karate movement help enhance a child’s mental capabilities, Jones told me.

Climbing

It’s a testament to my desire to spend time with my children that I have gone rock climbing with them despite being a nervous wreck about heights. This sport is hard, and I think most kids leave their parents in the dust. Of course, I have a lot more body weight to haul up the climbing wall, but I’m convinced my daughter is hiding a prehensile tail.

Swimming

This is yet another activity that allows me to keep the intensity up while kids get their fun. I’m not talking about lengths in a pool, but taking them to a water park, lake or ocean. At the wave pool recently I swam laps while I watched my children swing from a rope into the water and do the slide again and again. I’ve done laps around docks that they were jumping off, and even going snorkeling with my son and daughter allows me to cover extra territory by repeatedly swimming down to the bottom and back up.

Weights

Another thing I want to give a plug for is weight lifting. Last year I wrote two columns on the subject of kids lifting weights, busting the myth about its stunting their growth while showing that it has protective and performance enhancing effects for other sports with low risk of injury. What’s more, it’s an excellent choice for overweight kids who may hate aerobic exercise, because they are often stronger than their leaner peers. Lifting provides an ego boost that engenders positive attitudes about exercise.

I train both my kids in my home gym, but public facilities such as the YMCA will often have weight lifting programs that start as early as age 8. Once they hit 12, many gyms will allow them to work out with parental supervision (they may want you to take a course first), and I can speak from experience that there is much family bonding to be had over lifting heavy things and putting them back down.

More

To add to these suggestions, there are any number of sports that allow for parents and children to select their own level of intensity yet still play together. Kicking around a soccer ball, shooting hoops, tossing a football or Frisbee all allow for selective exertion. I especially like Frisbee because my kids don’t have the best aim and I have to run pretty fast to catch some of the throws.

Or, you can play hacky sack and everyone can be equally terrible.

Finally, if you trust your kids with sharp implements on their feet, there is always ice skating. Nothing wrong with lapping them.

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If you have kids, don’t give up on your fitness! There are different ways to keep in shape than spending your life in the gym. Actually, even people without kids could use a few tips on keeping it interesting because a stale workout routine usually breeds loss of motivation and giving up.

Here’s a list of kid friendly fitness:

• Running
• Paddling
• Karate
• Climbing
• Swimming
• Weights

Other suggestions include participating in organized sports, and winter sports when the weather is right. The trick seems to be exercising without the kids realizing they are doing it- this will have major benefits for your children as well, and surely make fitness a lot more fun for you!

Learn more about fitness with kids in this video…