Before kids, I loved to walk up and down the hills outside our house in Charlottesville, VA. The sloping roads were perfect for strength and endurance training: steep and lined with gravel, with flowers on the sides. Other days, I brought out my old bike from the shed and rode those same hills.
Fast forward about 5 years. I still live at the top of a hill, but occasionally I’ll load both kids into their double stroller and take them on a walk. Down the hill, up another one, and at the bottom is the entrance to the Mallard Creek Greenway. This 2-mile path follows Mallard Creek, a green paradise that leads to the playground at local elementary school.
Sometimes the weather doesn’t allow for outside strolls, so I bring the kids to Concord Mills Mall. They have a MallWalkers program for moms and kids, for older citizens, and for anyone who wants to get fit. Michael walks alongside sometimes, but more often than not, he runs because he’s so excited. I think I’ve done at least a couple of marathons while chasing him.
Since my kids hardly ever nap, I often end up including them in my routines. We dance to the Wiggles, I chase them around the downstairs (we have an open floor-plan) and play “rowboat” with them (sitting facing each other with hands linked and one lies down, the other is sitting up and vice versa). Who needs dumbbells when you have a 20-pound and a 30 pound kid to strengthen your arm muscles?
After a long day at the computer (or at the easel), my joints usually bother me, and the only way to relieve the pain is to stretch out. Nothing fancy: touch toes, stretch arms over my head, twist my spine, roll my neck. These mini-breaks do wonders for my joints and my well-being, and even better, they’re free.
I’ve had to accept the fact that I can’t just throw water and food in a backpack and go hiking for the day by myself. There are alternatives for my busy mom life and it keeps me fit and sane.
[tags]parenting, kids, exercise opportunities, rural, tips, advise, advice, busy parent[/tags]
Photo graciously provided by bobtravis, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved
2 responses so far ↓
Karen // Jun 1, 2007 at 7:00 am
We often take the bus, and usually have time to walk a little ways before flagging it down. Of course this wouldn’t work in places where the bus only stops at designated stops, but in those cases perhaps one could manage to walk to the next stop.
nekevano // Feb 16, 2008 at 2:50 am
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