Children always need undivided attention. It can be quite tricky to fit in an exercising routine when you have them around. Here are few things you can do to overcome this challenge and have fun in the process. You are your child’s first and foremost role model. I took up sports at a very young age because my parents encouraged me since childhood. One of our favourite times together was playing and running around in the park.
Now think about your own life. Were your parents physically active? Was that the image you had while growing up? Were they not really into fitness? How did their fitness affect you? Do you think you are as active as them, given the modern lifestyle differences? What kind of a role model do you want to be for your children? Movement comes naturally to each one of us and exercising can be an excellent way of spending time with your kids. By exercising, you can not only set a good example for your children but also work on your own fitness.
Stress
Many people undervalue the stress that comes while running a household and taking care of children. Honestly, most of us take it for granted. We think that women, who stay at home and take care of the household, don’t really do anything important or substantial. Actually a person who is in that situation feels stuck with never ending tasks. Cleaning, shopping, cooking, taking care of family, managing children’s schedules, coordinating and dealing with kids and their little fights, and handling staff isn’t as easy as it sounds.
In spite of being completely devoted and committed to your family, managing the household can be quite chaotic and tiresome. There are no breaks, no set working hours, and your life seems to revolve around everybody else’s. The key is to take time out from your daily routine and set time for yourself. This can be like your very own oasis, where you retreat to recharge yourself. This ‘me time’ can be utilised by doing anything that you find appealing. Just be sure to stick with whatever you choose to do. Your ‘me time’ should have the same priority as everything else you do for people around you. Even if you have to spend some time in reworking your schedule, the ‘me time’ should be spent exclusively on yourself and everyone else should respect and appreciate it.
Whenever possible, try meditation in order to create a balanced system and to soothe your mind. Taking out time for yourself will help you cope with everything in a better way. It will take away the feeling that life is passing by without you doing anything for yourself. On the other hand, by spending time in doing something that you enjoy will take away the feeling of being stuck. You will find yourself going through daily duties with much more ease and joy and the benefits will also be far-reaching.
Tree in the wind
Imagine yourself as a big tree with branches that reach out to the sky and wind that makes the leaves and branches sway to and fro. As the wind gets stronger, the branches teeter-totter and the tree bends down. After sometime, the wind starts blowing from the other direction making the tree branches move accordingly. You can also make wind-like blowing sounds while doing this fun exercise.
Growing tree stretch
Imagine yourself as a little seed, buried in the ground. Curl your body, squat, or lie down on one side. When it rains, the little seed starts sprouting and moves up to reach the surface of the ground. Get on to your knees and slowly move up your arms. Once the little sprout reaches the ground, it starts growing bigger and stronger; trying to reach towards the sun. It grows till it becomes a big, beautiful tree with its branches stretched out. Now this tree is so beautiful that you want to give it a big hug. So give that tree a hug and then go back to a being a little seed again. Repeat three times.
Hopping
Play a game with your kids. Ask them to name all the animals that hop. You can help them by giving clues like making sounds and mimicking those animals. This category will have animals like frogs-small, green ones hopping from one lotus leaf to another. Then there would be rabbits that are a little bigger, with long ears, little puffy tails, and a beautiful soft coat. Place your hands on your head and hop around. Ask your children to do the same. Then jumps in a big kangaroo; with a pouch where the mother keeps her babies. You can wrap dupattas around your waists, place a doll inside, and then hop around like kangaroos. Many birds like sparrows also hop. Flap your wings and hop like a little sparrow. I am sure you can find many more examples of animals that hop. Let your imagination take you on a fun-filled journey with your kids!
Walking
Mimic the way animals walk. You can mimic a cat, tiger, dog, monkey, horse, elephant, penguin, or any other animal that comes to your mind. If you are mimicking cats or dogs, stretch like them, wag your hip area, and then walk on all fours. Monkey walk is the most challenging exercise, though kids love it. You need to bend your knees and place your palms comfortably on the floor. Your weight should remain on the legs and arms should be used only for extra support. The distance between your hips and the ground should not be too much and your legs should be relaxed. If not, your monkey walk would turn into elephant walk! Now imagine yourself as a monkey and start chattering like one. If you have problems in your neck or shoulder area, do this exercise without placing your arms on the floor. Your way of walking would then resemble that of a chimpanzee’s rather than a monkey’s.
Flamingo Balance
There are many flamingos which are standing still, balanced on one leg. When they get tired they change legs and stand on the other leg. Perform the same exercise with your kids and change legs when you are tired.
Nature and animal kingdom
You can try many ways to involve your children while exercising. Begin by mimicking everything your kids do while playing and running around. You’ll’ probably find this quite challenging since children have abundant energy. Keeping up with them will help you keep in shape. You can also get creative and integrate exercises into their playing time. You can take inspiration from nature and the animal kingdom to create an exciting exercising routine. It will not only be fun but will also help you build a good rapport with your kids. Moreover, these exercises will take care of your, as well as your child’s overall fitness.