How DO you get exercise?

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How tricky this is varies from household to household – and if you still have toddlers in the house, and if your family is two incomes – one and a half incomes, what sort of homeschool you run, if you have teens available to help, or regular child care set up…lots of variables.

I do take the kids outside at 11AM daily (well, not if we are sick or it’s really nasty weather…) but chasing K is not as much exercise as it might sound.  Carrying her home might count as weight training sort of…It used to be when I felt not so healthy, I’d just walk to more errands, and my clothes would fit looser.  That’s tricky to do with kids also, unless K is in the stroller so I can get some more momentum.  Cycling and swimming are actually better for my foot condition, but much harder logistics.

The YMCA is set up for families that only have littles in the morning, there is babysitting and Mom type classes then, but the babysitting is only for babies (I guess everyone else’s kids go away for school).  Afternoons are classes for school aged kids (no babysitting or Mom type classes) Evenings would work if I switched out time with DH for exercise, and really, really wanted to.

I’m not sure I am dedicated enough to actually act on this, but some suggestions might get me moving, literally.

So, how DO you get exercise?

2 Replies to “How DO you get exercise?”

  1. My 14 yo and I just started doing P90X in the am. I am not sure how long that will last, though! That is one rough routine after another, oh man! Luckily it wasn’t a purchase we recently made. We’re a family of five on one-income, so our budget is pretty fixed! There is no extra dollars for the gym, a treadmill, or anything else! My husband actually bought the P90X a long time ago and never used it. It was purchased way before we started homeschooling so it has collected dust on the shelf for quiet some time. I tried it once after he got it b/c we were going to do it together and he wasn’t interested b/c it looked pretty rough for a guy with bad knees. Later I tried it again, but I get very bored with exercising to videos unless I have a buddy, so it didn’t last. My son has since gotten the urge to grow some manly muscles, so he asked if we could get up b/4 his lil sis and bro and do it. I was a bit reluctant to commit, but we started it this week. So far so good; I am feeling it!
    Later, after showers, breakfast, and chores we try to get a few mins outside (provided chores are done on time). We all have bikes, now, so we are all riding a little bit each morning. My 6 yr old just got his training wheels off (yay!!), so he is riding with us! In the afternoon, I have allotted PE just for my 10 and 6 yr old, so I burn a few calories doing activities with them. After dinner we all like to ride bikes, shoot a few hoops, or do just whatever we can outside, so naturally I get a few mins of calorie burn their as well!
    Jennifer