Holiday workouts

Clients often ask me – “What can I do to keep up my fitness during the holidays? The kids will be home and I will have very little time to myself”.  Here are some ideas to get you thinking.

• Get up early and go for a run, a swim or a long walk.  This will only be possible if you have a partner at home with the kids or the kids are old enough to be left for half an hour while you scoot out the door.  This early morning activity becomes less onerous than usual during the holidays as no one has to be anywhere when you get back – no school lunches or teeth cleaning – you can usually take your time.
• Take the kids to the park and set yourself a goal of doing 100 squats, 100 lunges, 100 tricep dips, 50 push ups, and 50 n ups.  Break these large numbers down – so maybe do 20 of each at a time.  The kids will love to join in.  Be conscious of your form – rather than speed.  Kids love playing around at “exercise playgrounds” – fitness stations set up in some parks – with steps for steps ups, bars for pull ups and benches for dips.  There are some great fitness apps you can use for a self styled workout.
• Team up with another mum and go to the swimming pool.  While one of you supervises the kids, the other one gets to do half an hour of laps then swap. This is also a lovely thing to do at a sheltered beach like Neilson Park.
• Go on a bushwalk with the kids.  This will only work with bigger kids but you will be surprised how much the kids will enjoy the experience of a walk in the bush.  There are so many national parks close by.  It’s even possible to take the train to the Blue Mountains.
• Dig out one of those exercise dvds or check out some workouts on the internet at home – kids love to try to join in.
• If you are the playful type join the kids for a kick of the ball, a run on the basketball courts or a hit of cricket at the park or on the beach.
• Hire a tennis court  for an hour or so and have a hit of tennis with a friend or with the kids.
• Go to Centennial park – while you jog around the park the kids follow (or lead the way) on their bikes or scooters.
• Go to an indoor trampoline place and instead of sitting and having a coffee – join in.  It is hot and sweaty after about 10 minutes.

There are plenty of ways to keep active with the kids at home.  Take every opportunity that you can to get outside and move.