Inside: Learn the top tips we use to stay active when you have kids.  Read about the tools we use too!

My husband and I went to Alaska for our honeymoon. We spent the two glorious weeks kayaking, hiking, fishing and enjoying the beautiful outdoors.

Before we had kids we loved to mountain bike together, play on a softball team, and take long walks with our dog.

Needless to say, we LOVED to spend time together being active and enjoying the outdoors. Not only did we love it, we knew it was good for us too.

Fast forward to the year our first son was born and we realized we were spending a LOT more time indoors. It’s not that we didn’t WANT to be active and do fun things outside, but we didn’t really know HOW to do those things with a baby in tow.

And truthfully, there were some activities that we just couldn’t do with our baby, but there were many things we COULD do! We just had to learn how to be active with our kids.  And this involved being prepared and strategic with what we did!

Keep reading to learn about the top ways we stay active as a busy family with two young children (almost 5 and almost 2 as of writing this post).

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links.  Click here to learn what that means.

Simplicity Challenge

Before I get to the tips, I want to circle back to my Simplicity Challenge for the month.  This month I am focusing on simplifying my workout routine.  The tools I mention below definitely help to simplify my workout routine and enable me to workout with my family.

Complete the form below to learn how to simplify your own workout routine.

Now on to the tips!!

How to actually stay active when you have kids

The activities I am talking about here are mostly walking, bike riding, light hiking, boating, things like that.  While I would love to go mountain biking with my kids, that’s just not going to happen until they are much older!

Our favorite activities get us outside with our kids and help us burn a few calories in the process. 🙂

Here are our favorite ways to do just that.

Tip #1. Bring your kids along for the ride

If you want to get a walk or run in, bring your kids with you!  Both of my kids enjoyed being in the stroller or baby carrier!  I would often bring along a snack or favorite book and my kids would enjoy the ride.  If they got fussy during the walk I’d try to stop at a nearby playground and let them run around for a bit before heading home.  Bonus: they are also getting in their exercise that way too!  Yay!

Tools we use: baby carrier, different types of strollers, wagon

Baby Carrier

There are soooo many brands and styles of baby carriers. It’s very personal in terms of how they fit you and your baby. Try a few and return the ones you don’t like. Or try to borrow from a friend before you buy.

These are the two we used:

Baby K’tan ORIGINAL Cotton Wrap style Baby Carrier

This is perfect for brand new babies and keeps them close and snuggly.  This style comes in different sizes and colors.  I tried a couple of different sizes to find the perfect fit.  This is super easy to clean too – just throw in the washer!

Beco Baby Carrier Soleil (Metro Black)

This is a more sturdy carrier and was great as the kids get older (and weigh more!) and can be used as a back carrier as well! My husband could also use this carrier which is a plus. The Baby K’tan is purchased in different sizes, so you’d need a separate one for dad if he really wants to use it.

Strollers

This is another thing that is very personal but I’ll share what we used and loved! We opted for the Graco Click Connect system.  This means that the infant carrier would click right into the stroller!  So if baby fell asleep on the walk I could just unhook the carrier from the stroller and let them snooze a bit longer.

Graco Jogger

This stroller was great for long walks, but was pretty bulky to carry with us in the car.

Graco Light Stroller

This is similar to the stroller we used, it looks like they don’t sell the one we had anymore!  It’s much lighter than the jogger above, which makes it great for short walks and traveling in the car or by plane.  The infant seat also clicks into this stroller!

Thule Chariot

When our oldest got to be about 1.5 or so we invested in a Chariot stroller.  These are awesome!!  You can use it as a stroller, jogging stroller or pull it behind a bike! This really opened up some options for my husband and I to get active outside.

After we had our second child we opted for a double Chariot with a sling for the baby.  While we couldn’t pull the baby behind a bike, it was very comfortable for walking around our neighborhood.  They also have lots of storage for bags and food for snacking on the go!

Now I will say the Chariot is pricey!  We bought ours used on Craigslist, so if you can find a used one, that is the way to go!

I think if I were to go back in time I would just opt for the Chariot, and not get the Graco jogger.  The Chariot can do so much and it a lot more comfortable to push and to ride in.

Radio Flyer Wagon

This is a great way to change it up a bit!  I can’t pull a wagon for a super long walk, but it’s great to pull your kiddo to a close playground or for a quick walk around the block.

Hiking Backpack Carrier

While we have not personally tried a hiking backpack carrier, I wanted to throw this one on the list because I think it’s such an awesome idea!  We have friends that have one and they love it!  This particular carrier is currently the highest rated on Amazon, so that is promising!

Tip #2. Exercise WITH your kids

When your kids get old enough they can start exercising with you!  My son LOVED his scooter and balance bike!  It took him a while to build up his endurance, but this is awesome because it’s teaching him the importance of exercise as well!

We had positive results with the balance bike.  The idea is that the child will learn how to balance and will eventually be able to jump straight to a pedal bike without training wheels.  I was honestly skeptical but my son was riding a pedal bike within a couple of weeks of starting!  There were several spills and some crying in the beginning, but he eventually got it and hasn’t looked back!  Now he can ride his bike right along side us!

Tools we use: balance bike, scooter, accessories

Micro Scooter

Strider Balance Bike

Safety and other accessories:  helmets, elbow/knee pads, fun decor for bikes

Tip #3. Plan for the unexpected

These items are not completely necessary, but they will help ensure a successful trip.

• Weather appropriate clothes: sweatshirts, extra clothes, sun glasses
• Snacks for on the go: peanut butter and jelly, granola bars, dry cereal
• Diaper Bag: It looks like ours is discontinued, but this one is similar!
• Water bottles: our favorite for kids
• Books for long walks: check out these

A Few More Tips For Success

Give yourself heaps and heaps of grace – Try not to have an all or nothing mentality.  If you only get 5 minutes of exercise in?  That’s awesome!  That’s 5 more minutes than you would have just sitting on the couch!

Be flexible!  Anyone who has kids knows that life is extremely unpredictable when kids are involved.  You never know when you will have a diaper blowout, spit up all over you, a tantrum erupts, or your kids are tired and/or hungry.  Or all of the above!! My point is to be flexible.  Go with the flow or you will all get extremely frustrated!

Encourage your kids to join you!  Are they old enough to walk? They can go on a walk with you!  While you won’t be able to go as far, or for as long, you are teaching them life-long lessons for maintaining health and wellness.  There are numerous benefits to both you and your children for maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle.

Recruit a friend with kids! It’s way more fun when you have another adult to talk with. It’s also great for accountability!

-> Don’t forget your FREE worksheet to help simplify your own workout routine!

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What are your best strategies to stay active when you have kids?

Please share in the comments below!

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