I've got kids....how can I find time to work out?

Everyone is busy, but if you have young kids, busy seems to be an understatement. I hear people all the time saying "How am I supposed to workout when I have little kids?" I completely understand being exhausted from caring for your family. I completely understand that when you have kids your life is hectic and you're constantly running from soccer practice to art classes to play dates and field trips, etc. But, I also know that you have to MAKE time to do anything you want to do, exercise included. I have three young kids (ages 9,5,2) and a one year old 70 pound boxer puppy. Trust me, I get it.

You have to schedule your workout like you would schedule any doctor's appointment or activity for your child. Make it a priority. For me, I made up a weekly family calendar with a template I found in Microsoft Word. I put in our family meal times first, since those are always consistent. Then, I put in the kids bedtime (yes, I firmly believe in a scheduled bedtime EVERY night....ours is 7:15pm). Then, I put in any appointments we had and my husband's work schedule. The time that wasn't accounted for with appointments was the time I scheduled to work out. Even if you can only find 30 minutes here or 30 minutes there, it really does add up.

Schedule family walks after dinner or during the day time. It's a great family activity and you get to get moving and burn some calories too. If you have a dog, walk the dog as a family. This is a family favorite in my house. We take 3-5 mile walks daily, weather permitting, with our dog. That's in addition to any other exercise I do.

Work out with your kids. Kids love exercise. My oldest likes to go hiking with me. My younger two love doing push ups, squats, and jumping jacks. My littlest likes to roll out the yoga mat and do her "workout." Getting the kids involved in your workout not only helps you manage your time, but it also helps you reinforce healthy habits with your children.

Sometimes, I go for a run at 5 in the morning when my husband and the kids are still asleep. Sometimes, I put in an exercise DVD at 9pm and workout in my living room. The point is that no matter what your situation is, you need to MAKE the time to workout and make it a priority in your life. Any time you spend watching TV, you can be working out. I encourage you to do jumping jacks, push ups, squats, burpees, chair dips, lunges, etc during commercial breaks while you watch TV. Keep a set of weights next to the couch and do bicep curls as you sit on the couch watching your favorite show. These little things might not seem like much, but they can add up to a huge loss over time. And, more importantly doing small things like this can help you change the way you think about exercise, which will motivate you even
more.