Working Out with a Toddler

Trying to get in a workout here and there when Rachel isn’t feeling clingy and my husband is around to watch her is just not enough. I work out once every 10 days at that rate. I need a new plan.

Step 1: Get my parents to bring my baby home a half hour later one day a week, and sneak in the front door and upstairs another day when hubby is watching her. There. Two treadmill workouts during week.

Step 2: Commit to going for a run with the jogging stroller, rain or shine, once each weekend. Bring lots of crackers and toys for a happy baby. That puts the count at three cardio workouts per week.

Step 3: Work in some strength training…while watching Rachel. Hmmm.

After scouring the internet I found some really great ideas for working out with your toddler. One used playing cards where the suit told you which exercise to do and the value told you the number of reps. After drawing each card, the toddler can play with it while you do the exercises. I knew Rachel would quickly get tired of the cards, however, and I really wanted her involved since it would be more fun with both of us. Plus I like more variety than four exercises. I decided to reverse it and assign an exercise to each value of the cards and use the suit as the number of reps:

Diamond – 5 reps

Club – 10 reps

Heart – 15 reps

Spade – 20 reps

But let’s face it. Rachel will decide the number of reps. I can already see her figuring out what each card means and giving them to me so we do her favorite over and over.

I chose my favorite thirteen toddler exercises from the internet, typed them up on mailing labels, made four copies, and adhered them to the back of a deck of playing cards.

1. Bear Crawl: On hands and toes, butt in the air, knees soft, arms shoulder width apart. Bring knees towards stomach as you race your toddler.
2. Crab Walk: On hands and feet, arms soft, stomach towards the sky. Race your toddler. Eventually you should be able to keep a flat line from shoulder to knee.
3. I’m A Little Tea Pot: Stand in a semi-squat position (short and stout). Put one hand slightly behind your back for a shoulder stretch (handle). Stretch out your other hand/palm down about 45 degrees from your head (spout). Stretch your obliques when bending over (Tip Me Over). Encourage toddler to copy you and sing along.
4. Chase: Run after your toddler using high knees steps.
5. Stomping feet: While holding a crunch position, stomp your feet onto a paper grocery bag to make noise. Encourage your toddler to do the same.
6. Bird: Lie on your back with your knees up and feet flat. Hold your child above you, so that you face each other. Have her stretch out and flap her arms and legs. You can lift and lower your child, making bird or airplane noises. Tilt her from side to side as your own arm strength builds.
7. Wag Your Tail: Chase your toddler around on hands and knees while “wagging your tail” and barking like a dog. Make sure to move your head and should to get them stretched out.
8. Kangaroo: Holding your arms like a kangaroo, jump across a designated line on the floor (painters tape, shoestring). Encourage toddler to do the same and/or jump holding the toddler like a joey.
9. Downward Puppy: With child on her back, get into downward dog yoga position with plans on either side of your child. Make funny faces and hold for 20 seconds.
10. Elevator Squat: With feet three to four feet apart and holding your child, perform a squat making sure not to lock your knees.
11. Kissy Face: With child on her back, get on your hands and knees with palms on either side of her. Bend elbows, keeping abs tight, bringing your face down for kisses.
12. Toddler Twist: Sit on floor with your knees bent, holding your child against your chest. Sit up tall with your abs contracted and lean back about six inches as you twist your upper body slightly to one side. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. Throw in some kisses as you twist to make it more fun for your child.
13. Ring-A-Round the Rosie: Hold hands, skip, run, or gallop in a circle. When everyone falls down, add a slow motion squat before landing.

All set! Now I just need to hide the books from our workout space; keep the cards, painters tape, and paper grocery bag together in a handy spot; and get ready for some exhausting fun. I’ll keep you posted on how it all turns out.

Meditation on Traffic

I got busy talking to my mom and smooching on my wee one this morning and next thing you know...crap...I'm going to be late to work...again. Five or ten minutes, not a big deal. But the clock kept mocking me. I know all the "checkpoints" on the way to work that tell me how likely I am to be late. I know stressing won't get me to work any faster, so I try to concentrate on music and stay calm. Two minutes later I find myself willing the lights green. Then I pictured it - a small glowing green light the shape of an egg right behind my navel, inside me, emanating. When I was calm that light would grew, filling me, surrounding me, finally expanding and influencing the lights to green. A sly smile crossed my face. I had tapped into a secret power inside me.

Ok, sure, it took my glow the same amount of time it would normally take the signal to turn green again to expand far enough for its influence to work...or did it? My calmness sure made it seem shorter. And my checkpoints originally told me I was going to be 8 minutes later to work, but I was only 4 minutes late. Either way, my little egg served as a great meditation point and I went to work stress free. I'll let you be the judge.