I Am Trying To Get Some Exercise Into My Routine. The Thing Is That My Dh Works Late Most Nights And I Need Something That I Can Do With A 3 Year Old And 10 Month Old In The Room With Me. For That Reason, I Do Not Have Work Out Equipment, I Don't Want Either Of Them To Hurt Them Self On It When I'm Not In The Room. I Have Tried Some Work Out Tapes But The KidS Are All About Climbing On Or Around Me, And Again When I Am Moving Fast They Can Get Hurt. They Are Kinda Clingy I Guess. I Would Take Them For Walks But The Baby Has Some Really Bad Allergies. By The Time They Go To Sleep, I Am Wipes Out. Can I Count Regular Play With My Kids As Any Type Of Activity? And If I Do Fit Anything In It Is Not Consistent From Day To Day. I Know Some People On Here Get In A Lot Of Exercise. Is That Because They Don't Have Kids?

Does your 3 year old still nap? Can you do some exercise at nap time? My 3 year old niece will just try to follow along with my sister when she's exercising. They do TurboJam together, it's really cute. If you find a video that doesn't have huge movements and lots of kicking, it should be easy to let your kid follow along. And maybe have the 10 month old in a pack n play or something?

Any activity that is out of the scope of your normal activity level can be counted towards activity points. So I would say that if you feel like playing with your kids is a kind of exercise, you could count it, but if you do it every day, don't. But be honest with yourself about the intensity level of it.

I just posted the same question this morning. My daughter is 1 and clingy. I can't see doing a kickbox video w/ her in the room. I guess it would depend on how much activity you do with them.

We play, but usually it is just walking around the yard and across the street to the park so I don't feel that it is worth counting.

I Get Off Of Work At 5pm So There Isn't Any Napping After That. But I'll Look For A Lower Intensity Workout. The 3 Year Old Likes It More Than The 10 Month Old He Is Super Clingy Because He Is Teething And Will Hardly Let Me Put Him Down. The Last Time We Went For A Walk, I Ended Up Carrying The 22lb Kid A Mile Back To The House Because He Wouldn't Sit In The Wagon And I Didn't Want Him To Fall Out. That Will Make Your Back Hurt After A Mile. I Just Need To Keep Looking For Something That Works.

I've been considering something like 10 minute solution pilates because you won't have to worry about kicking your kids while you're doing it. I have no flexibility in my spine though (spine fusion) so I'm not sure whether I could actually do it.

Does your wagon have a seatbelt? I've been considering getting one of these. My 16 m/o is almost 20 lbs. and it's killing my back. The thing is,...how fast can you walk pulling a wagon? lol

Let me know if you think of something. I need ideas.

Edit: I just found this. It looks interesting...I think I will check it out tomorrow when I go to the shopping.

That Dvd Does Look Interesting. I Can Walk At A Moderate Pace Pulling The Wagon And It Adds Resistance. I Switch Arms As We Pass Each Telephone Pole. (we Walk Down A Dirt Road, Cause We Live In The Country) And I Have Seen Them With Seat Belts But No, Ours Has The Railing Around The Side Kinda Like A Little Fence. But He (10 Month Old) Stands Up To Watch The Wheels Spin And Leans Over The Side. It Scares Me A Little. As For The Pilates I Think You Would Need Some Pretty Good Flexibility To Do That. I Have Been Trying To Do Hip Hop Abs. Mostly Just Dancing Around But You Definatley Sweat. I Can Only Get About 10 Minutes In Before One Of The Kids Needs Me Though. I Guess 10 Minutes Is Something Though.

i have a five year old. i do the 10 minute solutions yoga DVD, sometimes in the a.m. before he gets up or after he goes to bed at night. sometimes on the weekend he'll do it with me, but he's older than your kids.

what about going for a walk at the park by yourself before you go home from work?

I work all day too and come home to 2 toddlers....they go to bed at 7:30pm so I get my workout in after that - even if I'm dead tired.

My elliptical has a MOM setting on it that stops movement of the pedals and arms so the wee ones won't get hurt.

When i worked out at home, I waited until they were napping.. Now that my kids are older and no more naps, we go to the gym... I prefer that, because they get daycare and I get 2 hours.

luvmyfam - thank you for feeling my struggles. they have a seasame street sing and dance that entertains them both. i guess it doesn't need to be the activity that i want as long as it gets me moving.

pgray - i wish i had the money for a gym membership, but not in the near future.

boomcha - wow, your kids go to bed at 7:30, congrats on that accomplishment. my kids go to bed at nine and ten. i like the idea of your eliptical with special settings though. where did you get it?

princess - i have to pick up the kids right after i get off of work. but i could go walk at the park with the baby in the stroller and watch the 3 year old play, i guess

Lol, my daughter goes to bed at 10 also. I wish I had those few hours a night to myself--I could get a lot done! I wonder what age they start playing by themselves and leaving mom alone for a half-hour here and there is. By reading everyone's posts it doesn't seem possible for a few years.

I get up 45 minutes before the kids get up and put in 30 minutes on the eliptical. It was really hard to get up at first, but now my body doesn't let me sleep in.
From the day that we got the eliptical the kids were told that they are not allowed to touch it. Only once did it ever happen and one time out later it hasn't happened again.I do cover it up so that the temptation is not there.
I too have 2 children. They are 2 1/2 and 4.

I also was faced with this problem recently. I do belong to a YMCA but it was increasely difficult to take my 3 yr and 1yr with me the 4 or 5 times a week I need to go. Plus my oldest didn't like being left and sometimes they had to come and get me..
anyway, I discovered Turbo Jam videos and I love them.
I get up at 6am before the kids get up and I do a video. I only schlep the kids 1 day a week now which works out pretty well. And I find the videos are more fun.

It's all about planning... I'm hoping once I'm in better shape, i can also do something in the evening as well. My kids also go to bed about 7:30pm.