Fun Ways to Exercise with Kids

With all the electronic devices we have at our disposal sometimes it's hard to get our kids to exercise! They are either on the computer, iPad, phone….. you name it and they are probably on it. So I decided that around our house we needed to find some fun ways to exercise with kids not only for their benefit but mine also.

Fun Ways To Exercise with Kids

Create a challenge – No kid likes to think that mom or dad can win at anything. Challenging them to see who can do the most push-ups or get across the yard running faster is easy to do, and they may not figure out that you are trying to get in a mini-exerciser routine for the both of you. Choose your words carefully when you challenge them. If you ask them if they want to have an exercise challenge with you, chances are they are going to look at you like your crazy and move onto something else. Now if you tell them you can beat them to the oak tree out back and take off running, you bet they are going to blast off like a crazy person!

Go trail walking – I don't know too many kids who will pass up the chance to go walking in the woods. Find a scenic area with some slight hills and rocks to climb and take off on a long hike. Make sure to bring plenty of snacks and water with you to keep up your energy level. You can even have a backpack to hold all the necessities that will add to the exercise routine. Here are tips for hiking with kids.

Swimming – Swimming is an easy way to exercise with kids. What kid doesn't want to jump in a pool when it's hotter than the 4th of July outside!! Bump up the cardio workout by racing across the pool or throwing a ball around.

Pull out the exercise balls and have them join you in your workout – Using balls to exercise is fun even for us adults. Put in your favorite exercise ball video and see if they can keep up with you. There are plenty of different sized balls in the toy section at Wal-Mart so you should be able to find one for any age. If you don't have a video on hand put on some music and bounce to the tunes or better yet. Take them outside and see who can bounce across the yard the fastest.

Set up an obstacle course – This can be done outside or inside pretty easily. Set up chairs to climb over and under and maybe a tunnel using a blanket and chairs. Have things set up that they have to run around or add in a tree to climb. After you get done you can have a watermelon party to help hydrate yourself! Here are tips for setting up a backyard obstacle course and here is how to make pool noodle obstacles.

Have a bubble bashing party – This is very inexpensive and great for the younger kiddos and it's as simple as it sounds. Start blowing bubbles and have them run around and pop them as fast as they can.

The easiest way to exercise with kids is to do things with them. If you are spending time and bonding with them they may not even notice that they are getting exercise. It is always important to tell kids that exercise is an important part of the day but if you can sneak it in without them even noticing than so be it!