5 Tips for Keeping up Your Walking Routine with the Kids Home for the Summer
This week is a big week in our house: tomorrow is my daughter’s last day of sixth grade. It’s been a year of ups and downs—the first year of middle school! But, somehow, we’ve all fared surprisingly well.
Up next: summer break! It’s an exciting time for kids—a time for playing outside and hanging out with friends and maybe going to the pool or the beach. It’s an exciting time for moms, too—because it often means fun family outings and summer vacations. But it also means that everything is more than just a little…chaotic. Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom, a work-from-home mom, an in-the-office mom, or a combination, that first day of summer break means that all of the comfortable routines that you’ve been used to following for the last nine months fly right out the window. And, as you’re shifting and refocusing and rescheduling your life, all too often, Mom’s needs are the first things to get lost in the shuffle.
It’s so easy to drop your regular walking routine when the kids come home for the summer—because it’s just not easy to fit walking time into this busy new schedule. But that doesn’t have to be the case. There are ways to keep walking—even while juggling your own schedules and responsibilities with your kids’ very important summer play time.
Of course, all of our situations are different. We all have different work/home responsibilities, different numbers/ages of kids, different schedules, and different family situations. But here are some tips that may help you keep up your walking routine over your kids’ summer break.
Change Up Your Time
If you’re used to walking during school hours—but you’ve suddenly got a house full of kids who need your attention—consider changing your regular walking time. If you have a partner who’s available in the evenings (or you’ve got someone else who’s willing to keep an eye on the kids for a while), go for a walk when the temperatures start to cool down—and bring a friend along. At the end of another busy summer day, it’s nice to wind down with a relaxing walk and talk with a friend. Or, if you’re an early morning person (and have someone else who can stay behind at home), get those steps in while the kids are sleeping in.
Walk Where Your Kids Are
Summer camps are funny things. Unless you’re putting your kids in full-time or even half-day camps every day of the week, you may find yourself driving your kids to a couple of hours of soccer camp here and a couple of hours of coding camp there. For moms who have to finish up work when and where they can, this can be a great time to fit in some work. I’ve been known to settle in for an hour or so at a nearby coffee shop—though you might also catch me editing audio on my laptop in my car. But this can also be the perfect time to fit in a walk. Sport camps often take place at a park or a school, which means that there’s a pretty good chance that you’ll find some trails or maybe a track nearby. You can fit in a couple of miles and still have time left over to pick up some coffee and/or get a little work done.
Head to the Park
If your kids (and their friends) are old enough to play at the park with minimal supervision, pack them up in the car and head to a park where the kids can play and you can walk. We have some great parks nearby with trails that circle the park’s play areas. Our neighborhood park even has a track that runs past the playground and around some soccer fields. It makes for a great way to put in some miles while the kids play nearby.
Better yet, schedule play dates, so your kids have someone to play with, and you have a friend to walk with. It’s a win-win! I have put in so many happy miles this way.
Or, if your kids need more supervision, you can also walk laps around the playground, so the kids are always within reach. You won’t be able to walk at your normal pace—and the other moms may look at you funny—but you’ll still be getting your steps in.
Take It Inside
If you love walking outside as much as I do, taking your daily walk inside may feel like a last resort—but sometimes (especially during summer break), you’ve just got to make it work. While the kids are playing at home, find some time to get your steps in. We have a treadmill in our basement, so I’ve been known to fit in some miles while my daughter (and sometimes her friends, too), hang out on the other side of the door in our basement playroom. Sometimes, my daughter will join me in the workout area, and we’ll watch TV shows or movies together while I walk on the treadmill.
If you don’t have a treadmill, you can still get some walking time in—it just takes a little more creativity. You can create your own path through the house. You can walk in place while watching TV. Or you can head over to YouTube and try a walk at home workout (like this one). Even though you won’t be outside enjoying the fresh air, you’ll be able to keep up with your walking routine while still being available to provide snacks and break up fights as needed.
Get the Kids Involved
Four years ago, during the pandemic, we all had to get creative to keep ourselves and our kids from going stir-crazy. I was just months into my walking journey when the pandemic hit, and I already understood the mental health benefits of a little bit of physical activity—so I made my daughter get up and get moving with me. While I walked, my daughter would join me on her scooter or rollerblades—and we both got to enjoy a little bit of movement and a little bit of fresh air during the weeks of quarantine.
Of course, you could also get the kids to walk with you. Getting the kids to join in your walking routine may take some convincing (and maybe some trickery), but it can also be a fun and memorable way to spend some time over the summer—while also giving the kids some time away from their screens. Next week, we’ll be talking about some ways to get your kids moving with you on their time off.
Over the summer, it can be so easy to let your walking routines slide. You’re trying to juggle camps and play dates and vacations with your usual responsibilities. But with all of the craziness and chaos that summer break can bring, it’s so important to keep up your walking routine—for your own physical and mental health.
How else do you fit in time to walk when the kids are home for the summer?
