When and what do you do for exercise?

[Faithr]

And do your kids exercise with you? I need help getting up off my you know what! And a couple of my kids are couch potatoes and they need to get moving too.

 

Thanks,

[vettechmomof2]

I exercise by myself at nnight after my chores are done and the kids go to bed. I run/alternating fast walking on the treadmill for 1 hour and then do my karate followed by a kickboxing exercise video. Now this helps me sleep but most people could not do the level of exercise I do at night before bed.

 

During the day I do random karate katas, stretching, playing with the dogs, fighting over the personal treadmill, dancing to music and 10-20 minute exercise videos that my children love. We use predominately kickboxing ones again but they LOVE Richard Simmons:lol:. His broadway hits are their favorite.

We also take turns racing up the stairs. We time each other to see who did the best.

 

I would start with some dancing to music. Easy cheap way to get children excited and being silly without forcing anything on them. We sometimes do timed races of silly dances(who can do the silliest and judge each other), fastest dance, slowest dance,etc.

 

Almost forgot our favoitre is we all take Karate together.

Good luck and have fun.:)

Edited May 6, 2009 by vettechmomof2

[Ria]

Dh and I wear pedometers and try to walk 10,000 steps per day. The kids are all very active. They are on soccer and frisbee teams, and shoot hoops, play football, and play frisbee with each other at home.

 

Ria

[Melissa in Australia]

all my kids play basketball, and are fairly active. I ride on an exercise bike every evening. I read while I ride. I do a minimum of 5 km per day. though I try for 12. it just depends on how interesting the book is. I tend to slow down pedaling when it gets to exciting parts. and peddle like mad in the boring parts.

[Stacy in NJ]

three times per week we run 2-3 miles. Additionally, my dss swim and practice Aikido. I do yogo and/or pilates classes.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I get up and exercise before the kids get up. My friend and I either nordic walk with poles or go to the Y and warm up on the eliptical and lift weights. My boys go to Karate 4 - 5 days a week. I have them go out and play basketball, do an exercise video or go for a run. DD plays soccer and she dances around the house all the time.

[Kim in Appalachia]

I do Pilates and run 3 to 4 times a week, 2 to 3 times a week I do yoga. I do these on my own. My kids swim on a team, so they get lots of exercise on their own.

 

If you haven't been doing anything then I would suggest start with walking. The weather is getting nice, maybe you could go to a park and walk, the kids could go too. Yoga has been a lot of fun, maybe you could find a class or try a DVD at home.

[MamaT]

I try to walk around our property a few times a week, mostly just for some peace and quiet. I have been joined by my oldest dd lately, just to have the time to talk with her alone.

 

I don't do any other formal exercise. I'm one of those people who never stop moving and run up and down the stairs in our house about a million times a day.

 

My kids are very involved in their individual sports/activities, so they get plenty of exercise. We also hike regularly as a family, and have kickball games in our pasture or play basketball on the weekends.

[Blessedfamily]

I do an hour of step aerobics daily, except 1 or 2 days of weight lifting. I exercise while my 1 yr old naps. The kids get exercise running around like crazy, and dd5 takes dance classes.

[Desert Rat]

I exercise at 6am every morning M-F. My dh wakes me up as he's leaving for work and I usually finish around 7am just as the boys are getting out of bed. This time works for me and then I don't have to think about working out the rest of the day. I've also started walking with some of the other soccer moms during practice. My boys are in TKD and soccer as well as having a fun time on bikes and our trampoline. I'd put them in the very active catagory.

[Tina]

I got all of us out in the yard today for a couple hours work. We'll be setting up and planting a raised vegetable garden, and setting bricks into the ground around my flower bed--which will grow this year, too. I'm planning for us to go hiking once a week, and then there's tennis and volleyball once a week for all of us with friends, too.

They ride bike a lot, and I tend to do my WATP walking video in the morning or later on while they watch some TV show with their dad.

[lynn]

I prefer to work out first thing in the morning on my treadmill or tae bo/kick boxing videos. I have several hand weight routines that I do every other day or I do my boflex. I do get out with my dd jump rope or on the trampoline. Walk with dh and dd in the evenings.

[sandalwood]

And do your kids exercise with you? I need help getting up off my you know what! And a couple of my kids are couch potatoes and they need to get moving too.

 

Thanks,

 

We exercise (dh and I) first thing in the morning, usually around 6. Then, sometimes again at 8 or so pm. If we don't do it like that (early am every day no matter what) we just don't get it done. I am less likely to do it if I wait till later in the day. No, my child does not exercise with us, but he gets lots of exercise during the day just playing outside.

[Jennifer in MI]

I've been getting up early and running 4 - 6 miles before the kids get up. This winter I was doing some strength training too. But, my real love is running!

 

The kids are very active in sports and they run around all day. I have one who isn't very active at hom (he plays sports though), so I am going to require he start something regular at home next year - running or a video or whatever.

[SLH in ND]

In the winter (here in ND) I use the treadmill, but during the months with no snow/bitter cold temps, I prefer to be outside to do my exercise. Since my knees no longer tolerate running, I walk at a 4 mph pace or ride bike. There is a 2.5 mile trail that circles the golf course just 2 blocks from my house, so there's no excuse not to use it!! My girls play tennis, enjoy biking, and using the trail or treadmill, as well.

 

As far as time, I usually get in at least 5 days a week of high intensity exercise. I do at least 30 minutes each time, and don't usually do more than 45 minutes unless we're on one of those LOOOOONG bike rides that covers several miles of trails near the river or if I decide to walk the short trail twice. In the summer I exercise early in the morning because it gets so hot later in the day & into the evenings. Other times of the year I get it in between 7 and 8:30 in the evening....speaking of which, it's 8:00 and I need to find dh and drag him out for a walk!!! ;-)

 

I, and my girls, have also enjoyed some exercise dvd's called Walk Away the Pounds. They come in different levels and are a good way to get started or just to add variety.

 

Sheri

Mom to 3 super daughters and wife of 14 years, 364 days, to the world's greatest husband. Yep - tomorrow it'll be 15 years!!

Edited May 7, 2009 by SLH in ND

[SherryTX]

Well - I had started going to a Zumba class on Tuesday nights, but I have missed 4 of the last oh, 7 classes due to one thing or another. A good friend of mine has been meeting me and my 9 year old in one of the parks, and we go for a long walk, and then chat while my daughter plays on the equipment.

 

I am trying to get to the gym more, or just be active. I admire the fact that some many are good about getting it on their schedule and just doing it, here.

 

My daughter still takes a fencing class, and the other kids have some exercise walking to and from school, plus gym, one fences and one just finished up a ballet class, and the other a swim class. I want to incorporate more exercise for myself and them, but I DEFINITELY need some of the exercise time for myself to be by myself.

 

For those that do the 10,000 steps a day - have you noticed a real difference? I am just curious - I have a couple of pedometers kicking around here, but have never really used them.

[Rosie_0801]

We live on the edge of the cbd of our town, so nearly everything is within walking distance and it's easier to walk than get a park and drag kids in and out of the car. We also do a bit of boffering (padded swords) and when the kids start sleeping through the night, I'll start doing pilates again.

 

:)

Rosie

[Diann]

I get up early in the morning to exercise. I run 4 days/week and walk 2 days/week. My children ride bicycles and scooters, take the dog for walks, mow the lawn, help weed the garden, etc.

 

Diann

[Jill- OK]

...running/walking on the treadmill and doing ab work with lifting weights for upper body. (One day I'll do one, the next, I'll do the other.)

 

I started exercising first thing in the morning for weight loss purposes...and it just gets it out of the way, first thing, so I've decided to keep doing it that way. (I still have a little more to lose, anyhow.)

 

I might walk with my husband in the evenings, though, after dinner.

 

A good book (and the one I model my workouts after) is 8 Minutes in the Morning. It's awesome. (The running/walking paired with ab work isn't a suggestion of his, I got that from another book.)

 

My kids are all pretty active. I've encouraged the older ones to stay in shape during their 'off' season, from volleyball, and the two little girls do tumbling, but there's also enough running around outside to keep them fit. (They go on walks with me, sometimes, when I walk outside, in a neighborhood across the road from us, and when we get a dog, I've already said that we all need to walk him. I don't suggest getting a dog just to get moving, though, lol!)