How to Stay Fit When You are Stuck at Home? A Busy Parent’s Guide to No Gym = No Problem

For most, a simple workout each day can change your entire life, but as a parent, a simple workout can seem simply impossible. Have you ever tried working out with kids? Though there are obstacles, there are also benefits.  Many studies show that physical activity is vital for all ages. When you choose to workout with your little ones, it is a two-in-one deal. 

Learning I’d be collaborating on this post, I sought advice from multiple friends of mine who range from raising newborns to toddlers to young children.  The consistent advice was to let your child work out with you. Have a space that is safe and open enough for both you and your child to be able to do the activities, whether they be yoga, cardio, barre, or simply lifting weights.  One mother suggested getting a set of very light weights for your child to use; this way, they are involved and can mimic what you are doing. Another mother picks a child-proof area that has toys off to the side so her kids have the choice of joining her or playing by themselves.  The best advice I received from each and every one, was to not stress about the amount of time you are able to work out. In fact, 20-30 minutes is nearly perfect for your child to participate in working out with you. If you’re in need of something more strenuous or simply hoping for a longer naptime, try before they wake up, during naptime, or after they are tucked in bed.

Healthy Families BC shares a post about the many benefits of working out with your toddlers. Your toddler should never be sitting for more than an hour unless sleeping, and the average amount of time they should spend being active each day is roughly two hours. You can help make this happen by exercising with them. There are many benefits to your little ones being active such as better health, energy, posture, self-esteem, lower stress levels, and avoiding childhood obesity. 

Feeling Frustrated Stuck at Home

Regular physical activity is vital in everyone’s life. They say that “beauty lies in the eye of the beholder,” which means that everything is about perspective. You can either feel tormented that you can’t leave your house right now (because arranging some me-time seems like an impossible task to juggle, along with work, family, and 10 thousand errands), or you can start squeezing in some exercise time in front of a screen. There are a lot of different apps and fitness programs that you can follow along with. Yes, It’s not the same, and your kiddos are right there demanding attention; however including your kids with your workout is double the fun. Who says you can’t carry your baby while doing some barre? Or how about organizing a dance party every two days? 

You have witnessed how having a schedule improves your life while providing stability for your child. We are no different as adults; if we organize our day in a flexible schedule, then we can commit to a weekly fitness routine that will boost our physical and mental health and will help us bond with our children. 

7 Exercises You Can Do When at Home or Anywhere

You don’t need fancy equipment in order to have a great and well-rounded exercise routine. You just need to know the right kind of exercises and make time at least three times a week to work out. Here are our favorite exercises for at-home kid-friendly workouts:

1. Lunges – Execute 10 reps for 3 sets

Improving your balance is essential for great posture and your overall fitness. Lunges are a great way to improve balance while increasing the strength in your legs and glutes.

• Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Arms should be down at your sides
• Step forward with your left leg and bend your knee. When your thigh is parallel to the ground you have the correct position. The left knee should not extend further than the left foot.
• Push off your right foot and reach the starting position. Repeat with the other leg.

2. Pushups – Execute 3 sets of 10 reps at first, then aim for 3 sets of 20 reps

Drop and give me 50! Just kidding! If you are just starting to work out, you have to take it slowly and not strain yourself. Slow and steady – you will reach your fitness goals.

The old pushups are a great way to work a great number of muscles in your upper body area. If starting directly on the floor seems too hard in the beginning, just use a steady bench or the couch and push off the edge. Another version is to sit on your knees and then lean to do the pushups. Either way will make it easier to start with and after a few days, you can try the plank position.

• Stand in a plank position, activate your core, shoulders pulled down and back, and your neck should be relaxed.
• Bend your elbows and lower your body to the floor. When your chest touches the floor, return to the start. Remember to keep your elbows close to the body during the exercise.

3. Squats – Execute 3 sets of 20 reps

Squats are a great way to burn more calories; they engage the largest muscles in the body and help to build core and lower body strength.

• Stand straight; your feet should be a little wider than shoulder-length apart, and your arms either at your sides or extended in front of you to help you control your posture. Make sure you keep your arms at the correct height throughout the exercise and do not lower them as you get tired.
• Activate your core, chest and chin up, hips back and bend your knees as if you are going to sit. You can use a chair or your couch by lowering your body until you almost touch the seat, then push up and continue until you learn how to correctly do this exercise. As a self-check, when your knees are bent, the knees should align with your ankles and not go past.

4. Sit Ups – Execute 3 sets of 15 reps and aim for 3 sets of 30 reps as you advance

Sit ups are a simple and great way to work your abdominals. If your lower back hurts you can just do a crunch, which requires only the upper body and shoulders to lift. 

Very important, if you have just given birth and you feel or know that you have diastasis recti, do not do sit ups. Diastasis recti is the medical term for the mommy tummy, a bulging around the belly button, that protrudes even more when you do crunches and sit ups. There are specific exercises for diastasis recti; you shouldn’t do any type of exercise that makes your tummy bulge. We will address this important subject in a future post.

• Place yourself on the ground with your knees bent and hands behind the head.
• Start lifting yourself from the head, but make sure you activate and pull with your core, your abdomen, and that you are not straining your neck.
• Go up as far as you can, set a limit that you can reach every time and then lower yourself down slowly and controlled.

5. Glute Bridges – Execute 3 sets of 10 reps

Glute bridges are a great workout for your derriere.

• Lie on the floor, knees bent and feet a bit further from the gluteal area, so you can get to a good bridge position. Arms should be at your sides, flat on the floor with palms facing down. You can also hold the sides of your yoga mat in order to support yourself as you are pushing up.
• Push up from your heels, lifting your hips off the floor while activating your core, glutes and hamstrings. Your upper back and shoulders should remain on the floor, keeping your neck relaxed. Imagine that from your abdomen to your knees you stand like a table, it should look like a straight line.

6. Bulgarian Split Squats – Execute 4 sets of 15 – 20 reps for each leg

A Bulgarian split squat can be easily done using a chair, bench or your couch. It works many muscle groups and you will be able to feel the burn in your inner thighs (we all know how hard it is to work those), quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves.

• Stand in front of your chair. Left foot should be on the floor a few feet in front of the chair and the top of your right foot on the chair. Your shoelaces should be facing and touching the chair.
• Place your hands behind your head and activate your core muscles.

• Flex your knees and get down into a split squat. Your left thigh should be parallel to the ground and the knee should create a 90-degree angle. Right knee should be suspended above the floor. Self-check: left foot should be positioned so that the knee does not go past your toes. Reposition if necessary.
• Push off with your left heel and get back up to the starting position.

7. Burpees – Execute 3 sets of 10 reps

Oh, burpees; although I always dreaded these exercises, they are so efficient in building muscle strength and doing a great cardio workout. They are the good-bad guys when it comes to a whole-body exercise. As you build strength and get accustomed with this move, you will feel proud to have conquered it.  

• Stand upright, feet shoulder-width apart and hands at your sides.
• Do a squat with your hands in front of you. When your hands touch the ground, push your legs back into a plank and do a pushup.
• Come back up from the pushup and through a jump bring your feet up to your palms by bending at the waist. Try to bring your feet as close to your hands as possible.
• Pull yourself straight up and then jump.

Shelby, creator of Fit as a Mama Bear, shares her post, “Why I Workout with My Toddler.” She shares reasons why, tips, and tricks for working out with a toddler and baby. Shelby explains that trying to squeeze a workout in while your children sleep is not always beneficial because the chances of something not coming up is unlikely. To avoid this frustration, it is easier to workout with them. For many of us, exercise keeps us sane and is a great “outlet” for stress. Being more relaxed and less stressed can help us be better parents. By showing your children how being active is fun and not a punishment, you can help the way they see exercising in their own future.

How Do I Start Working Out with an Infant Crawling Around?

I know this amazing couple, Jen and Daniil Donchenko who founded RoosWraps. Roos Wraps gives moms, and dads an opportunity to workout their legs, core, and have the ability to do yoga with your little one safely with you. Not only are there tons of benefits that accompany getting in shape with your children, but the Roos Wraps workouts actually will help provide a fun and safe structure to allow your infant tummy time. And if Jen and Daniil were not nice enough people on their own, they also give back through their Sweet Dreams charity.

You can find Roos Wraps on Instagram and on YouTube. They post videos and information on different workouts. Plus, if that’s not enough, you can also receive coaching from Jen with their Fit Family App.

Jen and Daniil are doing their part to help people out during this time. For a discount of purchasing a Roos Wraps use: CORONA30

Do you like to work out with your children? Is exercising with them fun and easy or stressful? Do you have a favorite workout to do with them? Please share with us your thoughts, tips, and tricks to a successful toddler workout.  Please connect with us on Instagram @MapsCookingKids or on Twitter @MapsCookingKids. Until next time, agape, be kind, and happy parenting.

Amanda is a writer, freelancer, teacher, military spouse, and mom.  Her mornings always start with coffee laden with a healthy dose of sugar and milk as she prepares for another day of keeping up with her toddler.  Their favorite activities include reading, Legos, hide and seek, and reading.  Along with motherhood and coffee, she loves walking her two dogs, beating her husband at Scrabble, reading paranormal fiction, and anything to do with Post-It notes.  You can never have too many Post-It notes.

Diana lives in Bucharest, Romania. She is the mother of one-year old Stefan and wife of Cristian. Diana’s love for travel and tourism has led her to study Tourism & Commerce and she has worked in the travel industry for more than eight years. Besides travel, Diana loves playing and spending time with her baby, watching movies, hanging out with friends and writing.