Fitness is very important to me, not only as an individual, but as a Mom. You see, I firmly believe in teaching through example and if I am not being active on my own then neither will my children think to be active on their own. That is why I spend quick moments making sure that I walk a bit more each day, these short walks really help to keep my weight going down, muscle tone building and of course walks are a great way to have a fun time with my children.
Pictured above you will see my three children and me atop Mt. Kearsarge at the parking lot, ready to hike to the summit. Of course, this picture was taken during a hike up Mt. Kearsarge, but there are other simple ways to get a daily walk in without dedicating too much extra time. After all everyone leads busy lives these days, don’t we?
Park Further Away from Grocery Store Entrance
Heading to the grocery store? Well next time you visit the local food store, remember to park further away from the store entrance. This forces you to get a short walk in, without dedicating too much extra time or prior planning. I personally do this all too often and even if my kids complain each time I do, they are starting to understand why it’s important to take your time in life, even if that means we have to walk further across the parking lot to get inside of the store.
Walk to Get Kids from School on Nice Days
I could potentially walk from my home to the schools to get my children on warm days, however, it’s too far of a walk for the little one. Whether you live within walking distance or have to park downtown somewhere and walk, make sure to take advantage of the nice weather days and walk to pick up the kids instead of driving. This saves a little bit of gas and it’s a fun way to let your kids “get their wiggles out” after school. I must admit my middle child gets upset when I walk to get him, but I know in the long run of life he will see that Mom was always finding creative ways to keep him active. I can only hope the habit of parking and walking to the school will stick with my children as they grow up and become parents in later years themselves.
Walk Around the Farmers Market
My children and I have recently started to make our Fridays a habit of walking around the local Farmers Market. It’s a nice walk, we get to check out the local artists, foodies and even ride on a home made train. The children and I spend an hour walking around the Farmer’s Market without even realizing we were walking for that long! This is a fun {and sneaky} way to incorporate walking into your life without dedicating extra time, especially if you are one who enjoys Farmers Markets as much as we do.
There you Have it …
Hopefully these few short tips and examples of how my children and I incorporate walking into our daily lives will get you moving forward in making sure you stay active without having to set aside too much more of your precious hours in the day.
I’ve partnered with Harvard Pilgrim on this sponsored post but the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. You can find more ways to be well at HarvardPilgrim.org/CountUsIn.
These definately are some wonderful ways to get walking into your daily life!
Yes those are great ideas! Thanks for the tips, I definitely need to include more walks throughout my day!
Great tips. Right now we just force ourselves to go take a walk once a day but as the weather gets less accommodating this winter tips like these will probably be the way to go.
It’s so important to set a good example for the kids. Walking is nice, especially when you have interesting scenery like at the farmer’s market.
Great tips Brandy! I find I can get in more shopping if I got to a large shopping center and just browse through all the stores. 10,000 steps are easy as heck to get that way.
Great ideas! I had to click over when I saw your post on HP’s Facebook page. I recognized the view there from Mt. Kearsarge! My family loves going there, especially at this time of year.