Can’t work out because the kids won’t give you the time? Read how I used the Misfit Shine Activity Monitor from Best Buy, to complete 5 workouts all while playing with my kids; making your health and fitness goals easier to reach! The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.
Over the past 9 months I have been on a bit of weight loss journey. It hasn’t been an overnight thing, but day by day (and one pound at a time) I have been trying to improve my health through healthy eating and exercise. I made a goal to loose 30lbs by my 30th birthday, and on my birthday (one month ago) I was down 33lbs, which I lost completely by exercise and eating healthier. I still have a long way to go, but have learned a lot over those past nine months.
One of the big things that I learned is that fitting in a workout with two very active kids can be a huge challenge. So with a bit of creativity (and somewhat out of desperation) I thought up some workouts to do with kids!
I wanted to be able to track these workouts for my daily calorie count and to make sure that they where actually effective. I was so excited when I got a chance to try out the Misfit Shine Activity Monitor (retails for $99.99 but on sale now for $79.99 from Best Buy) and use it to help me track my “playtime workouts”.
The Misfit Shine Activity Monitor is a wrist-watch style movement tracker that connects to an iPhone app that helps you achieve daily and weekly movement goals. Users wear the tiny movement tracker (about the size of a quarter) that fits inside a wrist band, all day.
Throughout the day you tap the monitor to your app to sync it. The app then tells you how close you are getting to achieving your pre-established daily movement goal. You can also see the effectiveness of different activities that you have done in helping you to reach the goal.
The focus of this system is on tracking your progress towards reaching your daily goal rather then just tracking a single workout, however you are also able to track specific workouts and caloric burn for them.
This is a fantastic system for busy moms or any one else who is on the go all day. This is because it gives you credit for movement that is done as part of day-to-day life in addition to movement done through specific workouts. Another feature that I love, as a mom is that it is waterproof, and is surprisingly durable for how small and light-weight it looks. The app also allows users to find friends who are also using the system, and encourage or compete against each other, making it a great way motivational tool!
I love that the Misfit Shine Activity Monitor accounts for the day to day movements that I make with the kids, and tracks that as part of my fitness goal. However, I quickly learned that in order to meet my fitness goal, I would need to add some more focused workouts to my day also. Which is when I got creative and figured out a few workouts that would turn playtime into a workout.
1. Sandbox Squats– My daughter loves to dig in the back yard, so I decided to turn this into a workout by giving each of us a bucket and spade. I dig along with her and do a deep squat to shovel up a scoop full of dirt and put it into the bucket (which encourages me to hold the squat longer then I normally would). I repeat this until the bucket is full (usually about 10 times) and then do some sprints around the yard while my daughter dumps out the bucket. This could also been done with building blocks or other small toys for indoor fun!
2. Just Dance– Both of my kids love to dance, so we have started having living room dance parties! I let the kids put on their favorite music and we all just dance! Sometimes I tell my 7 year old that I will copy any dance moves he makes up… Move over aerobics class, because that kid makes me sweat it out! Other times I will dance with my toddler in my arms for some extra weight resistance!
3. Kid Kettle Ball– To get a great arm and abs workout I turn to “kid kettle ball”! I rake up a big pile of leaves or stack up a pile of pillows. Then my kids take turns getting “thrown” into the pile. I squat to pick them up, then gently swing them side to side and then squat to gently drop them into the pillows. The kids love it so much and will want me to do it over and over and over again. A few sets of that, and I will surely feel it in the morning!
4. Bubble Butt Buster– What toddler doesn’t love bubbles? Bubbles are always big hit in our house! I made bubble time into a game with my daughter! I blow a wand full of bubbles and we try to see how many bubbles we can pop by jumping on them before they hit the ground. Let me tell you, that gets my heart rate up and legs sore in no time (plus my daughter thinks its hilarious)!
5. Walk Away– As simple as it sounds, I have found that one of the best workouts with kids is just getting outside and walking around the neighborhood. My 7 year old keeps pace while riding his scooter (which keeps us all moving swiftly) and its fun for everyone to get outside and get some fresh air!
Squeezing a workout in with young kids around is never easy, but with a little ingenuity and a lot determination it is possible!
Leanne Cox is a guest writer for CleverHousewife.com. She is a stay-at-home mom to two kids, and a credentialed preschool teacher. Leanne teaches “mommy-and-me” and “preschool style” music & movement classes through her business “Little Stars Music & Movement Classes” . She is passionate about encouraging early childhood education through hands on learning and exploration
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