Kids & Family Workout 01 : Week 01
INDOOR RECESS!
Indoor recess can conjure up a lot of fun things. We have a workout today comprised of some fun stuff you might remember from your days in elementary school, plus some fun new stuff to incorporate into a fun family workout. My kids age ranges are significant, and everyone (even the 'home for who-knows-how-long' 20yr old) had a good time doing this.
Helpful (but not necessary) equipment:
- A comfortable indoor or outdoor space
- A jump rope (but we can always pretend)
- A ball or stuffed animal
- OPTIONAL: tape or chalk
If you're doing this inside, just use a pretend jump rope and imaginary ball or a soft toy. It'll still give you the same workout!
WARM UP:
Turn on some awesome music to get warm. It can be your tween's favorite band, your preschooler's favorite songs or some awesome music you've been meaning to introduce your kids to. It just needs to be something you can groove to.
Dance x 1 song - Start by just moving to the music. Jog in place, jump up and down, twist, smile! The best warm up for you & your child together is the one where you have FUN.
*If anyone isn't quite feeling it, remind them to drop their defenses, choose to be cool, and jam out. You always feel better after a dance-out.
THE PLAY:
Keep the music going as you transition into the workout. Keep in mind your child's age and skill level as you work through the exercises. Younger children should stay close to the low side of the reps, while older children can go to the higher side, and even extend the workout for an additional round if they're interested and having fun.
- 8 - 15 x Jumping Jacks
- 8 - 15 x High Knees
- 8 - 15 x Wall Balls (this can be a body-weight squat with a jump at the end if you are indoors or don't want to toss a ball up your walls! A stuffed animal works great too, so you can toss and catch it as you squat back down)
- 5 - 10 x Push-ups (Keep in mind that push-ups can be challenging for younger children, and it's best if they begin on their knees and work on their coordination)
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10 - 20 x Seated Object Footsie Grab the play ball you used for wall balls (or your stuffed animal, or a pillow would work well too) and sit down on the floor, side-by-side, legs extended out in front and your hands resting on the floor behind you. Pick up the object with your feet and, using your core muscles, transfer it to your child's feet. You may have to sit staggered to line up properly. Transfer the object back and forth for 10-20 reps.
10 - 20 x Seated Object Footsie Grab the play ball you used for wall balls (or your stuffed animal, or a pillow would work well too) and sit down on the floor, side-by-side, legs extended out in front and your hands resting on the floor behind you. Pick up the object with your feet and, using your core muscles, transfer it to your child's feet. You may have to sit staggered to line up properly. Transfer the object back and forth for 10-20 reps.- 5 x Hopscotch Hop Rounds You can use your imagination, tape a hopscotch on the floor, or draw the boxes with chalk if you're outside. The main goal is to hop on one foot > hop on two feet > hop on the opposite foot. Each group of three movements = 1 round!
- 10 x Seated Object Hand Off Hot Potato Get the soft toy or the playground ball and sit back to back, criss-cross-applesauce with your child (this can be done in a group of three too!). With the object in both hands, twist to the left and hand it off to your child seated behind you. They will take the toy, twist to their opposite side, and hand it back to you. If you had fun and want to go another round starting in the opposite direction, go for it!
- 5 - 15 x Plank w Hand Claps Facing one another in high plank, clap your opposite hand to your child's opposite hand. Sometimes this is easier said than done, but crossing midline is a great skill, especially for younger (6 and under) children.You can choose to soft or hard count this, depending on how it goes. This can also be done for a group of three.
- 5-10 x Flamingo Pick-Ups (Or Single Leg RDL's) Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent with one leg off the floor, like a flamingo. Hinge at the hips and lift your leg parallel to the floor as you bend down to pick up the stuffed animal. Do the opposite leg for the same number of reps.
COOL DOWN:
Turn on some chill music and start to slow things down.
- 5 - 10 Belly Breaths Laying on your backs, place your hands (or a stuffed animal or other soft toy) on your belly. Take a big breath in, filling your belly, and watch the toy rise. See how high it can go, before you slowly breathe out and see how low the toy can sink on your belly. Take five - ten slow deep belly breaths. Smile. :)