When I was having trouble fitting exercise into my schedule, I had a look at the different parts of my day and realized that my best plan was to try to work with the kids instead of around them.
That’s why our family goal for the summer is to visit all 54 playgrounds in our city and, when possible, to walk to them.
That’s where the map comes in. We have every playground circled, and a plan for when to visit which one. Sometimes we even hit 3 or 4 in one day. The challenge is that this part of Newfoundland can have some crappy weather (20+ days of fog in June. Yes, you read that right.) that can put a damper on outdoor plans.
That’s when I go to plan B: the painter’s tape. So far, I have made a living room hopscotch board (using Roman numerals – all geek, all the time here), a set of lines to practice Taekwon-do (slide step to the first line, turn step back), a starting line for an obstacle course (over the pillows, under the table, hop down the hall).
And when that fails me, I turn to the couch. Not to become a potato, but so we can play ‘No Boys on the Couch!’ a game that is basically me trying to stop them from sitting on the couch while they try to sneak past me and sit down. It gets quite hectic and by the time I give up, we’re all giggling and sweaty.
It may not be the perfect recipe for fitness, but it does get me moving. And it reminds me that when I can schedule exercise, it is okay to stick with stuff that I enjoy. I think seeing me enjoy movement for its own sake is probably the best fitness lesson I can teach my sons.
Well, that, and to always keep a roll of painter’s tape handy.
Christine blogs at mombie.com
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