Work Out at Home - Use Kid Resistance

Having trouble getting to the gym due to having small children? There are several ways to get exercise at home without buying weights. You already have everything you need to work out: your kids!

Pick up your child like you are going to give a piggy-back ride. Now go into a squat, making sure your knees do not go forward past your toes. Start slowly until you know you will not lose your balance doing this exercise. Try to do two sets of ten squats. Squats are ideal for kids in the toddler and preschool age range.

If you have good knees, you can even challenge yourself with jump squats. As you come up out of the squat, explode upward so you jump off of the ground. These may tire you quickly, and your child will likely want more long after you have exhausted your muscles with this exercise!

Crank up some upbeat music and get your kids dancing! Pick up the kids, and dance holding them, or just challenge the kids to see who gets tired first! Teach the kids some new moves, and try copying some of their unique dances! Dancing is a great aerobic exercise! Dancing is a great exercise for kids in all age groups.

You can work out your major muscle groups with modified dead lifts. Grasp your child under the armpits, lift to chest height then propel them up above your head. Lower your child back to chest height. At this point you can set your child down and repeat the whole movement, or you can go back up into the air. Lifting from the ground to chest height should be done with the legs, and not the back. If lifting your child from the ground is too difficult for you, try having them stand on the bed!

Kids have always loved to jump on the bed. Now, you can benefit from this age old game by 'assisting' your little jumper. This exercise will work your biceps and shoulders. For young toddlers just learning how to jump, put your hands under the armpits and give your child a lift. Help your toddler jump until your arms are tired.

For the established jumper, hold their hands, and assist them in jumping higher. Try several smaller jumps followed by several high jumps. Your kids will love it!

Play tag! Playing tag may require you to get out of the house to the park, but it is a great way to get some extra aerobic exercise in! This is a great way for the kids to get some extra energy out too.

Remember that the safety of your child is the number one concern. If you feel that any of the exercises above may endanger your child, avoid that workout. Before beginning any exercise routine, ask a doctor if you are healthy enough to exercise.