In our busy lives, it is sometimes hard for us to get the proper exercise that is needed to basically keep us sane. I mean, I know if I do not exercise, I get cranky. Even if it means just dancing around our house with our kids or running through the sprinkler on a sunny day, either way, believe me when I say you will feel the burn.  


So, how do we be parents, exercise, go to work, do housework, do baths and bedtime, cook dinner, and all the other things in life? To me, it is simple, my 2.5-year-old can take a shower now, so it is a quick in and out kind of thing. My youngest does not like the water as much as my oldest did at his age, so we are in and out. No big thing. Then I just put them to bed. So that is taken care of.  

My oldest “helps” with housework. As I said, he is 2.5 years old, so helping only is teaching him how to clean it is not always being a help, though. However, I always let him feel like he is helping. For instance, I have him hold the dustpan. If there is trash, I have him throw it away. He puts his dishes in the sink when he is finished eating. You know I have him do things a 2.5-year-old can do.  

Cooking, well, I do not trust him yet to help me cook because he gets too excited still and grabs for things like the hot stove or oven door. So, I usually have him playing in the backyard while my youngest is playing in the playroom. It honestly works out great.  

Fortunately, I do not have to work anymore. I get to stay at home with my boys while my husband goes to work. However, I did have to go to work for a short amount of time, and it was the hardest thing I had to do towards the end. When I first started working, I was excited, I was ready to go back. Then reality set in, and I realized how much I was missing.  

Now to the real issue at hand, how to incorporate exercise into your busy life. I look at it like this, do you want your kids to exercise? Do you want them to run around like crazy and let loose some of their energy? Do you want your kids to have a healthy lifestyle? 

I am sure you answered yes to almost all of those questions. So, in that case, this is how you incorporate exercise into your busy life. You have them exercise with you. Go on a walk. You would be surprised at how much they can learn and will learn just by going on walks with you. My son has learned so many new words while on walks, and he gets so excited when he sees new things, and he gets to learn.  

If walking is not what you want to do and you think it might be boring to go on walks or if it is a rainy day, you can do things like squats and pushups, or you can just do stretches in the early mornings or right at bedtime. Either way, exercising does not have to be done without your kids.  

Exercise as a family. Be healthy as a family. Whether you have kids or just have a spouse. Do it together. Instead of trying to finding an exercise partner, make your family your exercise partner.  

Remember we only are here for a little bit of time so you should spend as much time as possible together as you can. Keep yourself healthy and your spouse healthy while teaching your children how to incorporate exercise into their lives as they become adults. Start young, so it becomes a routine with your children, and as they get older, it will stick with them.  

So, how do you incorporate exercise into your busy life? You do it as a family. You do not, in any circumstance, take time away from your kids. You do not make it something you dread because you cannot spend time with your family. Instead, you include your family and make them part of your routine.  

Remember they are watching you for guidance. If they only hear you say exercise but do not see you exercising, then why should they? If you tell them to go play outside, but you do not go with them, then why should they? And guess what, if you go outside with them you will get plenty of exercises. Just last night, I was sprinting through the sprinkler with my son. We did that for about 30 minutes, if not longer. I got my exercise in, and so did they.  

People, it is really that simple. Do not dread exercise and spend time with your family all at the same time. I am telling you it will make you feel young again and show you just how much kids learn from you. You might also learn a thing or two from your kids as well. Good luck with your adventure! 

You may also like my post about how people are adjusting their travel in 2020 compared to 2019. There are many fun pictures there.