Transcript: Too Busy With Kids to Work Out? How to Get Your Whole Family Moving Together
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Ashley introduces the episode's premise — that having kids or a non-fitness partner doesn't have to block movement — and shares a friend's situation of feeling like gym time is a luxury he can't afford with young kids.
Welcome to More Movement, Please. This is famous Ashley Grant, and this is the podcast that inspires you to move your body more. Today, we're talking about something I hear all the time. Ashley, I'd love to work out, but I have kids, or my partner isn't into fitness, so it's hard to stay motivated. And look, I get it. Life is busy, and when you have a family, it can feel impossible to carve out time for the gym. But here's the thing. What if I told you that your family doesn't have to be an obstacle to movement? What if instead, they could actually be part of the solution?
So today, let's talk about family fitness fun. But first, let's address the elephant in the room. I have a friend who's sort of in this exact same situation. He's got young kids, and the idea of going to the gym feels like a luxury that he just can't afford time -wise. Between work and dinner and bedtime routines and everything else, when is he supposed to fit in his workouts? And here's the answer. He doesn't have to separate fitness from family time. He can actually combine them both. Because think about it. Kids, they're already naturally active. They run, they jump, they have energy for days. So instead of trying to find time away from the kids to exercise, why not join them? Take them to the park and actually play with them. Chase them around, get on the swings, play tag, do the monkey bars.
You would be surprised just how much of a workout you can get. simply by being an active participant in playtime instead of sitting on the bench scrolling through your phone. And for those of you with older kids, even better. Family bike rides, hiking adventures, backyard sports, these are all opportunities for movement that also build memories and connections with your children. But now let's switch gears and talk about partners. This one's personal for me because I'm actively working on this with my own husband. He's not necessarily one of those guys that likes to go to the gym and lift weights, but he does like... activities like pickleball and sports he's actually interested in. So here's what I've learned. Movement doesn't have to look like, you know, traditional exercise, because what is that anyway? If your partner's not into going to the gym, that's okay. Find activities they actually enjoy. And like I said, for my
Ashley talks about her own experience with her husband, who isn't into the gym but enjoys pickleball and sports, and describes how they each do their own preferred activities on the same gym trip.
husband, it's pickleball, it's tennis, soccer, those kinds of things. For someone else, it could be swimming or dancing, rock climbing, or even just walking the dog together. The key is to meet them where they are. Don't drag your partner to a spin class if they hate indoor cycling. Instead, suggest trying something new together. Make it fun. Make it social. Make it feel less like a workout and more like quality time. Or maybe while you're doing the workouts that you want to do, you take them to the gym and they go and do the things they want to do. This is exactly what my husband and I have been doing.
On Mondays, I go to my Zumba and my low -impact cardio class. Afterwards, my husband does pickleball. It's a great way to get us both out. get us both active and we're doing things we enjoy and it doesn't feel as much like a chore. So here are some practical ideas for getting your family moving together. For families with young children, consider doing dance parties in the living room. Turn on their favorite music and just go wild for 15 minutes. Maybe create obstacle courses in the backyard using whatever you have, from hula hoops to jump ropes to whatever. Try taking family walks after dinner. It doesn't have to be long, even 10 minutes of movement. is more movement than you're probably doing now. And if you have them, consider doing active video games, but set time limits. For families that have older kids, try these. Weekend hikes or nature walks. Teaching them sports that you loved as a kid. Or maybe you could do family challenges
Ashley lists concrete activity ideas for young kids, older kids, and partners — from living room dance parties and backyard obstacle courses to recreational sports leagues and active dates.
like who can hold a plank the longest, or who can do the most jumping jacks, or who can do the most push -ups. Sometimes being competitive is a great way to get kids moving. Volunteering for active causes together, that could also be fun. Like think about doing park cleanups or even fun runs where you're raising money for charity. Forgetting your partner involved. Maybe find a shared interest. It could be tennis or salsa dancing or even something as simple as kayaking or hiking. And then make it a date.
Instead of dinner and a movie, try mini golf and a walk. And then another thing you could do is join a recreational sports league together. Then again, if you don't like doing the same things that they do, that's okay too. So just be their accountability buddy. Check in with each other about your movement goals and maybe set couple goals together. Like maybe you could train for something together and that could be one way you bond. But here's the thing. It's a beautiful thing about family fitness. You're not just getting yourself moving. You're modeling healthy habits for your kids or your partner.
Ashley emphasizes modeling active habits for kids and partners, argues for consistency over intensity, and challenges listeners to pick just one family fitness activity to do this week.
You're showing them that movement is fun and not a chore. And you're showing them that staying active is just part of life. And for those of you that are worried about your partner's fitness level or maybe your kid's abilities, don't be. Just remember to start where you are. If your partner hasn't been active in years, a 10 -minute walk may be the perfect start. If your kids are little, even just five minutes of active play counts. Progress is progress as long as you're making some sort of movement a priority in your life. And I also want to mention something that's kind of important, and that's consistency over intensity. It's better to do something small together every single day than to plan an elaborate family fitness routine that only happens once and never happens again because it was too much.
So here's your challenge for this week. I want you to pick one family fitness activity to do and do it. Just one. Nothing crazy. Don't get nuts. Maybe it's just a simple dance party with your kids tonight. Or maybe it's asking your partner to go for a walk with you after dinner. It could even be signing up for a pickleball class together. Now, let me tell you, I am not a pickleball girly. I couldn't handle it. I didn't enjoy it. But the point is to start. Show your family, your partner, that movement can be part of your life together and not something that takes you away from each other. All boards and upwards, my friends. Have you worked out today?