Spring into Exercise With Your Kids

Austin’s spring is here, and it’s a great time to start becoming more active: the sun is out, the temperatures are mild and the wildflowers are in bloom.

The problem is, many parents don’t think they have time to exercise. As a personal trainer, I see quite a few surprised looks in kids’ eyes when their parents mention exercise – which leads me to believe that seeing their parents move is a rare phenomenon for some kids.

The fact is, it takes only 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days to get cardio benefits - and three ten-minute activity periods work just as well as one 30 minute, non-stop session.

So how do busy parents squeeze that in? For those of you with young children, the jogging stroller is the greatest invention of the last century. OK, I might be overstating this just a bit. Still, it’s a great way to get yourself out of the house and the kids engaged in some springtime sight-seeing. If you don’t have a jogging stroller, you can always borrow one from a friend – don’t be afraid to ask, because a neighbor just might be delighted to loan a stroller that’s taking-up space in the garage. Babies usually don’t care where you take them, but if your toddler balks at the jog stroller, de-emphasize the “exercise“ component and instead turn your walk into a search for plants and the animals in your neighborhood.

Biking is another great way to get your muscles moving while at the same time teaching riding safety to your kids. You can rent a child’s trailer that hitches to your bike for about $5 an hour at several bike shops in town. Most also rent children’s tag-along bikes for the same fee: these are small “semi-bikes“ that attach to your bike but allow kids to feel like they’re riding independently. If you don’t have a bike, you can borrow one for free from the Austin Yellow Bike Project (contact them at 457-9880 or http://austinyellowbike.org). The group also offers free advice and tools for repairing your own bike.

Local schools also offer prime exercise space for parents and kids alike. Many have running tracks with nearby playscapes. If you and your kids walk or ride to these play grounds, you will be completely warmed-up and ready to take few laps around the track while the kids use the playscape. (Try adding one lap per week.)

If your children play outdoor sports that leave you sitting on the sidelines for hours, try walking or standing at least half of the time you’re watching the game. If you’re standing, place your weight evenly on both feet with your weight distributed on the balls and heels; don’t lock your knees. Also try taking walks along the sidelines. It may sound a little strange, getting exercise at a sporting event, but try it – it works.

If you simply can’t get out of the house, try dancing and jumping around with your kids for 10 to 15 minutes each morning. You can do this with an exercise video, but music on the radio works just as well.

Starting an exercise routine now, in the midst of Spring, will help you build-up some tolerance for the fast-approaching summer heat. The best way to build your heat tolerance is to be outside everyday engaging in some type of moderate activity. If you don’t start now, you’ll miss a window that will soon close – and jumping into outdoor activity once 90-degree heat is here is a very discouraging proposition.

Finally, remember this: smiling, laughing and giggling goes a long way to getting everyone through a workout – it releases those much needed endorphins and brings even more stress relief to your activity. And what parent doesn’t need that?