How I Exercise With Three Kids

Happy Monday folks! My Monday got off to a fantastic start. I woke up early this morning--6 a.m.--to squeeze in a workout. If you follow me on Instagram, you know I have found a new love for the Peloton. And by love I mean obsessed. Our neighborhood clubhouse has a gym with a Peloton and I've been wanting to try it for over a year and finally decided to climb on it one day. I was hooked instantly. I used to take spinning classes all the time before I had kids and I've missed them. Now I have access to them again and I'm seriously addicted.
I often get asked how I find time to work out with three kids. You will always make time for something that is a priority for you and working out is a priority for me so I always find time for it.

I have always enjoyed working out. I worked out a lot in high school because I was training for pageants and that kind of kick started my love for it. Before Campbell was born I basically lived at the gym. I would go during my lunch break or before work and shower at the gym because my 20-something self loved a happy hour with friends after work so I couldn't do it then. Ha! Once I got pregnant with Campbell, I pretty much quit the gym cold turkey. I was sick my entire pregnancy with Campbell so it was really hard for me to get any kind of exercise in. I basically didn't pick it back up until I got the clear to do some exercise 6 weeks after Bennett was born.
From that point forward, I've hardly missed a day.
I found that the easiest way for me to workout with two kids was to run around my neighborhood.
Going to the gym was challenging with kids and I didn't really want to put them in childcare. Plus, leaving the house with kids is hard so running around my house seemed pretty logical. Bennett was born in May so that whole summer I would run in the evening after the boys went to bed. It stayed light until nearly 9:00 so that always seemed to work out great for me since Scott was home and I could get out alone. However, once the time changed I needed a new plan because I definitely didn't feel comfortable running in the dark. I decided I would have to start running in the morning instead and take the boys with me. So I invested in a BOB double jogging stroller and it ended up being the greatest investment ever. The boys loved going on a run with me and I even put my girls in the bottom basket so they loved it too. Every morning after the boys ate their breakfast and I had my coffee, I would put on my shoes, load everyone up, and run for 3 miles. Once it started getting really cold, I bought a weather protecting shield to put over the stroller so the boys would stay warm--and they did. It was nice and toasty inside the stroller so I never worried about them being cold.

This was our routine for several years until about halfway into my pregnancy with Wells. The pounding of the pavement hurt my belly so I needed to come up with a new plan. I am lucky in that my neighborhood has a clubhouse with a workout room. So I started using the elliptical machine and I would still bring the boys with me. The gym has TV's so I would throw Paw Patrol on to keep them entertained then break a sweat.

Once Wells arrived I rested for 6 weeks before returning to my workouts. Now I had to figure out how to manage a workout with three kids!! It got a little tricky at first and I had to lower my daily workout expectations. I knew eventually I would be able to pick them up consistently again but until then I just did what I could, when I could. I ended up doing evening workouts, just like I did when Bennett was a baby. It seemed to work best because Scott could be home while all of the boys were asleep. I would either run around my neighborhood or go to the gym. 

Now that I've discovered the Peloton, it's 6 am workouts for me! I love waking up before anyone else. I love having an hour to myself and getting my day started with a sweat. I love that I'm done with my workout and showered before the boys are awake. I love that nothing and no one can disrupt my workout because everyone is asleep so that time is all for me!! 

Life changes and you have to adjust and figure out how you'll get some exercise. If you really want to, you will. Running around the neighborhood is an easy and great way to workout with kids. If you want to make the investment in a Peloton, I highly recommend it. 

I find if I can just give 30 minutes a day to get in a good cardio, it makes me feel good. If I'm feeling ambitious, I'll throw in 100 crunches and call it a successful day!