Working out with little ones; how to make it work

For many of us, exercise is your little bit of “you time”. It makes you feel good and it can be just the lift you need to manage the rest of your day. If you have a baby or toddler who naps at a certain time each day, you might use this to squeeze some exercise in. But things don’t always quite go to plan! So how can we squeeze that workout session in with little ones at home? It can be all too easy to give up which can mean setting your alarm for stupid o’ clock, waiting until the end of the day when you’re completely exhausted or missing out completely.

It CAN be done. Here are my top tips for working out at home with kids:

• Get them involved. This doesn’t mean getting them to lift heavy weights but give them something to make them feel like they’re doing the same as you. Kids love to copy so use a toy or teddy for a “weight” and they’ll love it. Getting them active from a young age is such a fabulous lesson too.

• Snacks! If you know you’ll need 30-45 minutes to workout, get prepared with some snacks to keep them happy. Chop up some fruit, pop some healthy cereal in a pot and get ready to hand it over when needed.

• Toys. I was 10 minutes in to a workout this morning and Eli got fed up and wandered off! Exercise is unlikely to hold their attention as long as you, nor will they have the stamina to keep going for quite as long. So have plenty of activities and toys on hand so they can dip in and out.

• Perserve. Don’t expect miracles the first time. The reality is it may take a few goes to get them used to seeing you exercise and accept that this is something you want to / like to do. Start with short workouts and once they are used to it, you might feel more confident going for longer. Keep going at it and it’ll soon become part of the norm.

If all fails, get yourself to a Mummy Tribe class, our Mum and Baby Fitness Programme designed for your little ones to have just as much fun as you.