How to workout at home with your kids around

If you’re a parent, lockdown is hitting you like a ton of bricks. Why? Because, unless you home-school your children, you aren’t used to having them around all the time.

Scheduling time to do your “alone things,” one of which is working out, becomes extremely difficult when you have children around. To make matters worse, you won’t be able to get to the gym right now, so you’ll have to do your workouts at home. Working out is one of the things that keeps us parents sane, and it is therefore extremely important!

Here are a few ideas to keep the kids entertained while you train:

• If you can’t complete your workout in one sitting, break it up into smaller chunks and spend time with your kids in between sessions.
• Before you begin training, create a flexible workout plan. Put 100 percent effort into your workouts so you can maximise your time.
• Make a bowl of popcorn and put on your child’s favourite movie or TV show. This will keep your child occupied for at least half an hour (or more, if you’re lucky) so you can complete your workout.
• Take your workout outside. Your child can play in the garden while you exercise, keeping them under your supervision but out of the way.
• If you need your kids to burn off some energy, enlist their help in your workout. It may not be as ‘smooth’ as if you had done it on your own, but it may encourage your children to incorporate exercise into their daily routines in the future.