How far would you have a 5 yr old walk with you?

[hsmom]

Here is my thing. I do not have anyone to watch my ds 5 so I can take long walks and such. Yet I really need to start walking a lot daily. My health depends on this. I am over weight and do not need to be adding in more excuses why anymore. There is no reason for this, I should not be over weight! No more excuses!

 

So, when my other half is home every other week I can walk further without my ds. The weeks he is not home I still need to walk, but how far would you expect a little guy to walk with you. Or even ride his bike with me. Yet I don't want to do too much and make him too tired.

 

Here are the things to consider. No stroller, he is just too big for one. Also Steven says no more expenses that we do not need.

 

What I want to do is start off with 3 miles a day. This is to the lake near our home and back 1 1/2 there 1 1/2 back. Now I fear this is too much for him. So, what would you set as a goal?

[Amber in AUS]

My 3 kiddos manage to walk for 20 mins slowly after lunch everyday, it is maybe 1km, maybe a little more. None of them walk at the pace i would need to walk at to loose weight. If you have to take your DS and you have to loose weight you are going to need to have him ride his bike or go in a buggy. My 5yo DD can still fit in our buggy, not that she does but i have been known to put all 3 kiddos in the buggy and push them for a long walk, now that is hard work and burns up plenty of cals ;)

[ChristusG]

I agree with the other poster. You need to walk at a quicker pace to lose weight. I just don't think a 5 year old is capable of walking at that pace. Is he quick enough on a bicycle? Will he stay right beside you? If you are contantly having to wrangle him in, it will be hard to keep the pace to lose weight. I second the stroller. My 6 year old can still fit in our stroller just fine and I wouldn't hesitate to use it in order to go walking.

[KJB]

Can he ride a bike? Or what about a battery operated little bike or car?

 

Or maybe about a wagon? You could pull the wagon empty until he gets tired and then he could ride. He might enjoy the wagon at the lake for carrying things he collects.

 

Another possibility is a pony, but I guess that's probably out of the question. :D

 

Otherwise, I actually think if you don't walk too quickly, three miles could be reasonable. The problem is pace more than distance, I would suspect.

[springmama]

We have a few parks here where there is a walkway around the playground equipment. You can see your child from all points on the walk, but they dont' need to walk with you.

 

What about a Walk Away the pounds dvd? It doesn't get you outside walking but you can do it at a good pace while your dc is playing nearby. Mine walk with me for a few minutes but then lose interest and do something else.

[Snickerdoodle]

I walk fast. Wherever we go my kids are expected to keep up.

 

Our library is 1 mile away. I walk fast the kids run. Mine have been doing this since they were 4.

 

They are kids!! My goodness. They are supposed to run everywhere they go.

[hsmom]

We do have a track near my house, but it is flat not up hill at all. I will have to look into a stroller or something and tell Steven I need it!

 

I need to get motivated that is the whole point of the walking. I will also do exercises at home, eat better, all that. Oh, and get off the computer!! I think they need to change it from get off the couch and tv to get off the computer and that chair!

[Starr]

I've known several people that have really liked the walking tapes that you do in your own house. It may not be perfect but would work well while your husband it away. My children walked a long ways at 5 but not at exercise pace.

[wapiti]

I do not think it's reasonable to expect a 5 y.o. to walk/run both the distance and speed that you'd need to be effective for your weight loss.

 

Is he too big for a jogging stroller?

 

Another option: in-home cardio workout. My friend is doing the Intense workout (she can't finish it yet, but she starts it every day, and it sounds like it's doing some good). I have a similar problem re: not being able to get out of the house; I'm doing P90X though I'd like to add in more cardio so I'm thinking of getting the Intense one too. beachbody.com.

[2squared]

I see you have two older children. Can they watch him after school and you then walk later in the day? Maybe early in the morning while everyone is still in bed?

[TxMama]

We walk as a family on a regular basis. We usually split up into two groups....those who are trying to exercise and those who are strolling....the-soon-to-be-5yo is in the strolling group since she cannot walk at an fast enough pace for the adults.

 

She will walk about 1 mile at a slow pace and then 2 miles at a very slow pace. We usually end up carrying her the last mile and a half. Now THAT is real exercise!:lol: When we walk the 3 miles at her pace it takes forever.....or so it seems.:tongue_smilie:

 

Do you have a wagon for her to ride in? Or can your older kids watch her for a bit?

[Teachin'Mine]

If the track is in an oval, why not walk around yourself, and let him play on the grass inside along with you. He can stop if he really needs to since you can see him from anywhere on the track. At five he should really enjoy having the play time. Bring a ball or two for him - he'll find ways to have fun. :)

[Nicole M]

I walk fast. Wherever we go my kids are expected to keep up.

 

Our library is 1 mile away. I walk fast the kids run. Mine have been doing this since they were 4.

 

They are kids!! My goodness. They are supposed to run everywhere they go.

 

This made me smile.

 

I think the key here is having a destination, a goal. My children walked with me everywhere, or we rode our bikes. Knowing that we were going somewhere was different than just walking.

 

Do you have a bike? We use our bikes in the summer for all our transportation. Is that an option for you? When my youngest son was five, we had a "satellite" bike, a third wheel that attaches to your bike, and makes your bike into a tandem. You can get them used at a good price. (I just sold ours at a bike swap for $20.) I find that when I don't use my car, I both get more exercise and tend to spend less money (no little "emergency" trips to the grocery store that end up costing $100).

[Laura Corin]

The problem I see is one of pace. I would find a track/trail where your child can bike alongside you when he gets tired of running.

 

Laura

[hsmom]

We ride bikes all the time. To check the mail and such. (no delivery to our homes here, only post office). Yes the track is oval I could just do that.

 

The option with the older kids is out of the question. My older kids are not responsible enough! Also my children fight non stop so this would be a really really bad thing.

[angela in ohio]

A mile or two to start, working up to three or more miles. Last summer, we often walked the three mile loop at the state park with our ds, who had just turned 7.

 

I agree about keeping a regular pace. They learn to keep up. Mine will actually run ahead and then run back to us, because they want to go faster. :D

 

We also have a park that has a loop of path around an open grass area. I used to meet some moms and we would walk around the 'track' while the kids played ball and played inside of it. That worked really well for the little ones.

[kalanamak]

I agree with the other poster. You need to walk at a quicker pace to lose weight. I just don't think a 5 year old is capable of walking at that pace. Is he quick enough on a bicycle? Will he stay right beside you? If you are contantly having to wrangle him in, it will be hard to keep the pace to lose weight. I second the stroller. My 6 year old can still fit in our stroller just fine and I wouldn't hesitate to use it in order to go walking.

 

 

Can your child pedal a bike along with you? My son can walk/job three miles, but he's been outside doing heart-rate-raising activities for 4 hours a day since he could toddle.

[TxMama]

Forgot to add.....my 7yo can run/walk 3 miles with the adults no problem. He gradually increased his pace/time when he was 6 from the strolling group to the exercise group during our walks.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

My kids like to walk up to the Pet Store and to Panera for lunch sometimes. Both of these are about a mile from my house. They can walk there and back with no problem, but we have a break in between. I'm not sure how long they could do continuous walking. At a Cub Scout winter campout, my 7 yr. old had to walk with me for about 4 miles, and by the mid point, he was whining and complaining that is was too far, but he did make it.

[Pretty in Pink]

My kids walk 3 miles with me at a time. Well, my 5yo usually rides his bike. My 3yo walks along side of me while I push my little guy in a stroller, and my oldest walks the dog.

[SonshineLearner]

GoodWill and other spots have jogging strollers for sometimes... $20. Jogging strollers can fit bigger kids. My almost 7 year old could fit in one.... I'd have my son run for a bit... ride for a bit.... :)

 

Good for you.. for exercizing. Another idea is go somewhere like a jogging track where you can jog around while your son rides in the middle....

 

:)

[Remudamom]

My sil walked fast and a lot. She had lots of littles, she walked around her yard. Boring, but it worked.

[Guest mrsjamiesouth]

We go hiking all the time and my dd2 can make it 3 or 4 miles at a fast pace. My ds5 runs the whole way most times.

[abbeyej]

If he can ride his bike (or a scooter? perhaps ask around if someone has an outgrown one), 3 miles doesn't seem particularly challenging for a 5yo. You might have to go a little slowly at first, but he'll be able to manage.

 

Also, could you walk in the evenings and have one of the older kids watch him at home sometimes?

[dragons in the flower bed]

What I want to do is start off with 3 miles a day. This is to the lake near our home and back 1 1/2 there 1 1/2 back. Now I fear this is too much for him. So, what would you set as a goal?

 

By the end of today I will have walked twice that with my four-year-old and considered it a light day, just the park and library, nothing special. Kids are more energetic than grown-ups. They have greater stamina.

[StephanieZ]

Letting the kid(s) ride bikes, scooter, roller blades, etc makes it easier to get in a good walk IME.

[NanceXToo]

How about doing an in-home walking program like a Walk Away The Pounds video on the days you have him with you?

 

Sometimes I do those, and my kids have even been known to do them with me (wandering away when they get bored).

[Haiku]

When my kids were five they could walk about a mile.

 

My suggestion would be to go somewhere that has a track. You can walk the track, and your little one can walk with you when he wants to and sit and rest when he wants to.

 

Tara

[Spinning]

There are 3 parks in our vicinity that we walk to that are about 2-3 miles in round trip distance. My 5 yo has no problem with this--and we don't do it regularly. One of the parks has quite a steep hill that makes for a decent workout and it's still not a problem for her. Heck, IF they want to rest, they race ahead and sit down until I get close and then take off again. Mine do like to take their scooters sometimes and this could be a good option. Bikes are too fast for me, lol!

 

I don't think your son is going to have a problem with this...:D

 

Kudos to you for getting in shape! :cheers2:

[Penelope]

My 5 year old regularly walks a couple of miles with me. He could do more if he has breaks. The main thing is he can't walk as fast as everyone else. So if he is walking, I don't feel like I get my heart rate up enough to count as "real" exercise, even though it's better than nothing and it's good for all of us to go.

 

If he is riding his bike I'm sure he could go farther. But we've never gone more than 2 miles at a time on the bikes. The good thing about the bike, though, is that he can go faster, and I have to jog at times to keep up with him. So I get more of a workout.

 

Oh, and I was going to suggest Leslie Sansone DVD's, too. Even if they are just for rainy days. Easy and you can do them around the kids. You can even play your own music if you get sick of the DVD music.

[Caribbean Queen]

My five year old can walk a mile, take a break, have a drink and snack, and walk another mile. She can't speed-walk or run two miles straight.

[Ottakee]

I agree with the Leslie Sansone videos for the days/times you can't get out. She has quite a variety of them at various levels. You can check your local library for some as our libraries all have several to check out. Our local Good Will and other thrift stores often have the video format ones for 50 cents.

 

You could check freecycle or Craig's list for a jogging stroller. We also had a bike cart that we could attach behind our bike to pull 2 kids or you could put on a front wheel and turn it into an all terrain stroller. Just put the word out and maybe someone has one just sitting around that you could borrow, buy for very little, etc.

[FlutterbyMommy]

I haven't read through the responses. But i am in te same position and have started getting more active in an effort to help with my health and weight. It is difficult to get to a heart rate to lose weight in any activity with a 5 year old honestly. However, getting more active is this first step in a healthy lifestyle.

 

My DD is 5 and she will walk 2-3 miles and bike 5 miles. But we are not moving at a fast, consistent pace. We stop for breaks and to have water. We will go on nature hikes, bike rides, and out letterboxing.

 

Now, this isn't a huge weight loss plan. but it is a great way to get moving, share quality time with your kiddo, and have learning experiences. Also, by getting active, I am more encouraged to use my Wii Fit, do workout DVDs, and go off and do weight loss activities when my DH is home and I have availability.

 

I started by short quick walking outings and built up to a level where she felt comfortable. trust me, you don't want to be 2 miles out and hear, "I'm tired, can you carry me?" To prevent that, I say start with a mile and see how your child does. Make it fun to encourage continued interest. From there you can gauge your child's level for distance and time.

 

Good luck to you. Trying to be active and lose weight is the first step and I encourage you to ove forward with giving this a try!

[elinnea]

We used to live in Germany and did not have a car. Consequently we walked almost everywhere and, although we brought the stroller along when they were smaller, they were able to walk a fair distance by the time they were 3 or 4.

We also do a lot of Volkswalking. I highly recommend this as it is a great activity for the whole family. There are usually 5 or 10km walks. My kids could do the 10km by the time they were 5 but there were a lot of breaks and walking at their own pace. Now they are 8 and 11 and we have a pretty good clip going.

In answer to your question I think your 5 year old is definitely able to walk the distance you described. Maybe take a stroller at first like others have suggested, but really encourage him to walk as much as possible. I am sure that after a few weeks he will be able to walk the entire distance.

 

Good luck!

[Whereneverever]

My just turned six year old regularly walks 2-4 miles with me. My just turned three year old can walk about 1.5 miles before getting tired. The distance you described sounds fine to me!

[sheryl]

Here is my thing. I do not have anyone to watch my ds 5 so I can take long walks and such. Yet I really need to start walking a lot daily. My health depends on this. I am over weight and do not need to be adding in more excuses why anymore. There is no reason for this, I should not be over weight! No more excuses!

 

So, when my other half is home every other week I can walk further without my ds. The weeks he is not home I still need to walk, but how far would you expect a little guy to walk with you. Or even ride his bike with me. Yet I don't want to do too much and make him too tired.

 

Here are the things to consider. No stroller, he is just too big for one. Also Steven says no more expenses that we do not need.

 

What I want to do is start off with 3 miles a day. This is to the lake near our home and back 1 1/2 there 1 1/2 back. Now I fear this is too much for him. So, what would you set as a goal?

 

 

Joanna, Here ya go.... My dh and I are fairly active. That's how we've always raised our dd...it's the only thing she's known. We bike, hike and etc. So.......she's used to it. When she was little and I needed to walk for the same reasons you're stating, I'd let her ride her 2-wheel bike...she learned to ride very young and was very good at it at the age of 5/6. She turns 11 next week and to this day if she's already had a looong day and me too, but I still need to walk, I'll tell her to ride her bike or scooter. She can go faster and keep up with me. Now at her age I can barely keep up with her!! ;)

 

Or, if your ds is good on skates, put those on him and off you go. It balances out. HTH

[Mom0012]

I haven't read the other posts, but you can get a scooter pretty inexpensively and I bet he'd be able to zip there and back with no trouble at all on one of those (assuming you are walking on pavement).

 

Lisa

[phathui5]

I've had my kids along with me when I've walked a couple of miles at the park (with the 2yo in the stroller).

[EKS]

Could he ride a bike beside you while you walk?

 

If you were to work up to it, I'm sure he would be just fine with walking 3 miles or really any distance. The problem for you will be that he will likely walk slower than you want to, hence the bike idea.

[2squared]

The option with the older kids is out of the question. My older kids are not responsible enough! Also my children fight non stop so this would be a really really bad thing.

 

I would do it in the morning while everyone is sleeping then. It would be heavenly - quiet and peaceful and you would get your day started out on a good note. You would have more energy and be able to check off a huge task. I can't imagine your kids would wake up early to fight, especially the teenagers. :lol:

[lionfamily1999]

Could he ride a bike beside you while you walk?

 

If you were to work up to it, I'm sure he would be just fine with walking 3 miles or really any distance. The problem for you will be that he will likely walk slower than you want to, hence the bike idea.

:iagree:

[hsmom]

Well yesterday we tried out the walk. He jogged/ran most of the way. It was nice. A few times I had to stop for him or slow and that was just going over bridges and such. I think today we will try it with the bike. I know any other time he takes his bike and I walk I am running to keep up. He is very very good on his bike and has been for a few years now. Thank you all for your suggestions. I am not really trying to make the walking the only way I loose weight. I am using it as a tool to get out and active more often. I will do heart rate raising exercises at home daily.

[stripe]

Susan Schaeffer Macaulay, Charlotte Mason educational writer, advocates in For the Family's Sake: The Value of Home in Everyone's Life, one mile for every year of a child's life, enforceable by spanking. (Unfortunately this page is no longer accessible from Google Books, except as a snippet.) I am not recommending anyone follow this suggestion. In fact, considering I'm not up to more-than-a-marathon daily, I'd be a hypocrite if I did!

 

I think providing an alternate means of transportation (such as the bicycle) makes it more fun.

[Penelope]

Susan Schaeffer Macaulay, Charlotte Mason educational writer, advocates in For the Family's Sake: The Value of Home in Everyone's Life, one mile for every year of a child's life, enforceable by spanking. (Unfortunately this page is no longer accessible from Google Books, except as a snippet.) I am not recommending anyone follow this suggestion. In fact, considering I'm not up to more-than-a-marathon daily, I'd be a hypocrite if I did!

 

 

 

:001_huh:

 

That doesn't sound like a good way to encourage a love of exercise and fitness.

[Whereneverever]

:001_huh:

 

That doesn't sound like a good way to encourage a love of exercise and fitness.

 

No kidding! I think that the distance goal is within reason to a certain age, but not spanking to enforce that!

[Karen in CO]

We walked a very long walk today with our 5yo - 2 1/2 mile hike over rocky terrain in the record time of 2 1/2 hours. Nobody would loose weight at that pace except maybe her if she needed it. Jogging stroller is the way to go.

[nono]

Well yesterday we tried out the walk. He joged/ran most of the way. It was nice. A few times I had to stop for him or slow and that was just going over bridges and such. I think today we will try it with the bike. I know any other time he takes his bike and I walk I am running to keep up. He is very very good on his bike and has been for a few years now. Thank you all for your suggestions. I am not really trying to make the walking the only way I loose weight. I am using it as a tool to get out and active more often. I will do heart rate raising exercises at home daily.

 

Awesome start!

 

Also, if you want to go further, why not offer a piggy back ride to your 5 yr old? That way, you'll get some weight-training cardio in as well. Oh, and I have to do this all the time with my 3 yr old. :)

[dirty ethel rackham]

One thing to keep in mind is that small children are like rabbits - they are built for short spurts of speed and need frequent rests. Dd is 9 and can still be like this. She runs ahead and then she is tired and so on. She can do a 5 mile walk now, but sometimes reverts to her rabbit self:). It takes time for them to get used to the long haul type of walking.