The Human Weight Machine
Posted: Wednesday, January 09, 2008
by Nick Ofner
Fearless-PublicSpeaking.com
It is
My daughter jumps on my bed and says "Good morning Daddy." I open one eye, look at the clock.
Before kids, no problem. After kids. Different story.
So, how does one find time to stay fit when you have not one, not two but 3 kids in the house?
My daughter, who's 4, is very active. We also have 1½ year old twin boys. If I classify my daughter as active then the twins are hyper-drive active with a bag of sugar thrown in for good measure. Add to the mix that both my wife and I work from home and our house is, well, busy.
Waking up at
I thought I'd tackle working out a different way. Who says you need to do an organized sport. Why buy a bike or treadmill and do the North American typical exercise routine. Why throw weights around when I have live weights to throw around. (Well, not throw but play with.) Yes, I'm talking about playing with your kids.
What I started doing is working out with my human exercise equipment. And believe me, it is a work out.
When my daughter wants to play outside I suggest a bike ride. We purchased a ‘Trail Gator.' Basically, a bar that attaches to the seat post of your bike and to the front of your child's bike. It raises the front wheel up, locks the wheel in place and presto. An instant tandem bike. Fresh air, quality time with Maddie and the added bonus. I get to keep fit.
And it doesn't stop there. Rake the leaves. Shovel snow. Take them outside and throw them in the air. (Just remember to catch them on the way down.)
Have a trampoline? Bounce on it with them. Little bounces are best and be safety conscious. (Our neighbours graciously allow us to use theirs.)
Here are some other ideas to exercise with your kids;
- Put on some music and dance with your child. Better yet, pick them up and do a waltz or tango. They will never know if you have 2 left feet.
- Put your child on your shoulders and walk/ run around the house or block.
- Play hide and seek.
- Lie with your back on the floor. Have your child lie on your feet and hold them in the air while they make airplane sounds. (Great abs workout.)
- Extend your lower legs over the end of a couch or chair, let your child sit on your feet and do some leg raises.
- Get your yoga mat and have your kids stretch and practice poses. (Bring out the Twister mat for added fun.)
- Pull a wagon full of kids to the park.
- Pull a sled full of kids to the park.
- Tobogganing. Going downhill is easy. Going uphill, now there's a workout.
- Let your children ride their bikes and you run or rollerblade with them.
The possibilities are endless.
And the best part. No more pseudo
Great article! Very creative use of your children. The added bonus is that they get more time with their dad. I do work out (with weights) every day. It's a promise I made to my aging self about four years ago. But I also try to make house and yard work part of my physical conditioning. Your article should help to inspire those who just can't drag themselves to the gym or work out at home.Hi Dianne. Thanks for the comment. (My first.) You are right that the bonus, or real benefit, is spending time with my kids. They are young now and I've been told many, many times to enjoy every moment. There are times in the morning when I do work out. Occasionally, my daughter will come down and ask to play or read a story to her. Do I continue with the workout and tell her to wait 20 minutes? No way! But I still exercise in a way. I'll sit on the floor, cross my legs, or stretch while reading to her. Not that I don't give 100% of my attention to my daughter, but I just remain active in everything I do. A wise person, (my mom,) once said, "Keep your body and mind active. For as you get older the things you don't do will become harder and harder." Cheers. Nick
