Christina is a mom, registered nurse, and blogger. She fully admits to both a love of too much food and a love of the couch, two vices she struggles to overcome on a daily basis. In the past two years, she’s lost nearly 50 pounds through diet and exercise, some of it chronicled on her blog, Losing My Hind.
Hooray for summer! With school out and the weather sunny and warm, my kids are always begging me to take them to the playground or go do something fun. (Because, of course, being at home is completely no fun at all.) As much as my daughters are enjoying their free time, I’m finding myself stressed out about not having enough time in my day. They may have no responsibilities, but I still have to go to work, buy groceries, do housework, and maybe find time for myself to exercise – all in addition to keeping my two little darlings entertained.
One time saver I’ve been trying to incorporate is taking the time to join in on summer activities with my kids. No, not just sit on the patio while they run through the sprinklers – I mean actually getting up and running through it with them. Think about it: not only do your kids get to have fun and spend time with you, but if done right, you can cross your workout for the day off your to-do list at the same time!
Stuck at home for the day? The sprinkler could be one option, although you can make it more fun by setting up a water-themed obstacle course in your backyard, like jumping through the sprinkler, army crawling across the baby pool, and finishing with a slide on the slip-n-slide. Or you could load up the water guns and have a game of water gun tag with plenty of running around the yard.
Is your child more of an artist? Break out the sidewalk chalk and join in – you can easily include a series of squats into your activity as you move to different areas of the driveway.
If you have the chance to get out of the neighborhood, take the family for a nature hike at a local park. My four year old can sit on my shoulders for part of the walk, giving her a needed break and providing me with an extra challenge for my hike. If you’re not a fan of nature in it’s wild glory, you can go for a hike at the zoo with no risk of the animals getting too close! (Unless you stop by the petting zoo.)
Swimming is another great summertime activity that kids love. Why not join in on the fun? Just 30 minutes of moderate swimming for an average woman can burn 200 calories. You may not have time to do laps in the pool, but the resistance of the water will make every movement count a little bit more, so splash it up and keep moving!
Stay active with your kids this summer, and you won’t feel any guilt in joining them for a bowl of ice cream during the heat of the day!
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