Welcome back to this week’s edition of 2-Minute Tuesdays where we are talking about one exercise topic for two minutes and giving you three reasons why you should follow our advice. Now this week, we are talking to those of you who have young kids running around. How can you make sure to still get your exercise in despite having to watch over all the little rug-rats.
1) Make An At-Home Resistance Training Plan
Exercise tip number one for parents with young kids – make an at-home resistance-training plan. A lot of times, it can be easier to take your kiddos for a walk or go to the park, where you can get in some cardio. But, it is challenging to find the time to do resistance training. So, figure out a way that you can effectively and efficiently do your weights at home so you do not have to leave the house to do your weekly weight training.
Action Step: Download our 5-Minute Mobility Check for a free guide on how to start designing your exercise plan!
Related: Resistance Training – 3 Life Benefits From Doing It Consistently
2) Aim To Keep Your Workouts To 20 Minutes
Exercise tip number two for parents with young kids – aim to keep your workouts to 20 minutes. If you are looking at your schedule thinking, “When am I going to find an hour in my day to go workout?” you’re not going to find it. But, if you approach it with the mindset of, “Do I have 20 minutes to exercise?” it is going to be a lot easier to get done. And, if you get in 20 minutes, you might find that you are able to go for 30 or 40 minutes. But, keep it to 20 minutes to start.
Action Step: Some exercise is far better than no exercise, so make sure to still get some in. Start with finding 20 minutes three days a week to get up and get moving, prioritizing resistance training with a lesser focus on cardio.
Related: Kids back in school? Get your workout in with these tips!
3) Get To Your Health Club or Gym 1x/Week
Exercise tip number three for parents with young kids – find at least one day a week where you can get over to your local health club or gym. Reason being, health clubs often have all of the exercise machines you need to have an effective resistance training workout. If you can find one time per week where you are able to go to the health club to get your resistance training in, you will be able to challenge all of the muscles that are very difficult to challenge at home without machines.
Action Step: Pass your young kids off to a baby sitter or relative, or find a health club that has childcare so you can effectively challenge all of your muscles at least once per week. At-home workouts are a great supplemental option, but they should not be your only source of resistance training.