How to get the exercise done with small children

This blogpost is written from Ellen’s perspective

Yes, I was one of those who couldn’t understand why it would be so hard to get some training done while you have small children.. until I had small children myself. It’s not hard when everything is going smooth. But children in kindergarten means a lot of illness and buggers. That will make you tired and not feeling 100 % ready to get the training done all the time. Parents are also facing a shortage of time, making it hard to prioritize workouts. My experience is that you must become a bit creative to fit in some workouts.

- Walk when you can (don’t take the lift or always choose the fastest/easiest way).

- Some parents find ways to workout in their lunch break, or stop at the gym, on the way home before the babysitter leaves or the kids get home from school.

- Do more workout in your home. When your baby sleeps you can get some training done. You can find some online training, or you can have some equipment yourself. You can even make some (empty bottles filled with small stones/sand/water can be a good weight barbell).

- Exercise with your baby. If you can buy/rent/borrow a jogging stroller for summer and a children sled for winter. You can also do some good core exercise with your baby, like baby airplane abs or squats with the baby. Just important to think about safety.

- You don’t have to hold the baby all the time. Maybe the baby can do some training him/herself. Let the baby lay on his/her stomach facing you while you take push- ups or the plank.

- Instead of date-night at the movie, have date-night at the gym or running in the forest with headlamps.

- If you have older children, you can run while the child rides a bike. Or if you watch a football game/practice, you can run beside the field.

- Aim for shorter workouts – some training is better than nothing. Give yourself permission to do what’s best for you and your family and set realistic goals.

- And sometimes you just have to prioritize sleep over exercise.

- Be kind to yourself; you are doing a fantastic job. And before you know it, your child will be faster and stronger than you.