We live in an incredibly fast paced world that seems to be constantly picking up speed at an alarming rate. Remember the old dial up internet? Where we would wait for what seemed like hours just to check email or look up one page? Now, we have 25 tabs open at one time, rapidly switching back and forth between them while another page loads and if we have to wait more than a second or 2, we are frustrated with how “slow” the internet is running! Sometimes, our lives are like that internet browser with 100 different tabs open, half of them frozen and all of them about ready to crash!

With all of the craziness and increasing responsibility, sometimes finding even an extra minute for a workout seems impossible. And if you are like me, I hate to do things that are not well thought out and perfectly designed, so if my workout isn’t going to be perfect, well I just might as well not do one at all!

I was 16 when I first started seriously lifting weights and working out after reading Arnold Schwarzenegger’s book, Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding. I followed his workout to a T and I was convinced that I was going to be the next Arnold. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for me to realize that physical greatness wasn’t in the cards for me! However, it did spark the love for fitness and getting stronger for me and that started a journey that has continued to this day.

Today my workouts are a far cry from the 2 hour a day, 6 days a week, marathon sessions I did back then but I am stronger and healthier today than I have ever been. Probably the biggest change in my training came after we had kids. Kids have a way of rearranging everything in your life in a good way and making you focus on what REALLY matters! For us, when we had kids our time became more limited but we still wanted fitness to be a priority in our lives. We wanted to keep ourselves healthy so we can enjoy life with not only our kids but also our grandkids and great grandkids! And we want fitness and healthy living to be important to our kids as well and for them to have a love for a healthy lifestyle!

Here are some practical tips for how we keep fitness fun and consistent in our family! And I would love to hear your strategies for doing the same with your family!

Just do SOMETHING! I am always amazed at how many people can’t go to the gym so they just give up and do nothing. There are so many bodyweight exercises you can do that require NO special equipment and even just walking is extremely effective! Fitness doesn’t have to be some super secret, elite, Russian Olympic training program, just get out and move your body!
Get involved. It is sad to me when we go to a park or playground, how many parents will bring their kids and then just sit there and watch them. They are missing out on one of the easiest and funnest fitness routines you can have! Play tag with your kids, climb the jungle gym, do whatever they are doing and I guarantee you will feel better as a result! And the best part about this is not only are you getting a workout, you are spending quality time with your kids as well!
Let your kids design your workout. We workout at home and like I said, I enjoy logical, intentional workout plans. But from time to time I will tell our kids, “Ok, you come up with our workout today!”. Trust me when I say no matter how good of shape you are in you will NOT be prepared to handle what they come up with! The first time I did this Emma said, “Let’s run around the house 50 times!” So we did and we all almost died! Another time they wanted to do hundreds of jumping jacks which is much harder than you would think, especially if you haven’t done them in a while! Doing this will get your kids involved in the process and they will love that! It wasn’t what I had planned for that day but it was a great workout and most of all we laughed, well they laughed at us laying on the ground, gasping for air, and had fun together.
Rediscover your inner kid! As I watch our kids, they don’t follow any specific workout plan but they are CONSTANTLY moving! They run, jump, fall, roll, get back up, pick things up, throw things, climb, and then do it all over again. All.Day.Long! They don’t have any aches and pains, their bodies are resilient and they are in incredible shape. As we get older we naturally get lazier and we gravitate towards what is easiest, even in fitness. That’s why there are so many machines and gadgets when really what most of us need the most is to simply be more like a kid again!
Let your kids jump in with you! Give them a version of whatever you are doing for the day and let them do it along side you! They love to be involved and it will give you an opportunity to teach them, encourage them and you can bond over a shared challenge!
Get outside! Some of our best workouts haven’t been workouts at all! Hike a mountain, swim in a lake, explore a new area, climb some trees or rocks, or ride the waves at the beach. Your body will move in ways that it never could in a gym and once again, you will be spending time and creating memories with the most important people in your life!