Yoga with Kids at Home … yes, you read that right!
Hey everyone, I’m Kelly, from Bulldog Yoga! Maintaining a yoga practice at home can be a struggle for many. Just keeping up with any exercise routine, for that matter, at a gym or at home can be incredibly hard!
Now, add in kids at home with you, and an at-home work out can feel practically impossible! I’m not a mom, but for moms (and dads!) at home, I feel for you. So we here at Bulldog want to show you that working out with kids at home is possible!
“Really?”
Really.
Today, let’s talk about how to maintain an at-home workout with kids at home. Let’s Zoom call a couple of our Bulldog Yoga mamas and leaders, Brittany and Tessa! Let’s see how they maintain their practice at home with their kids around.
And don’t worry–I might be in the studio but I promise I’m practicing social distancing. I have my cleaning wipes, my hand sanitizer, and like any health-conscious yogi, I’m following all of the tips we’ll talk about in a second.
Plus, it’s really convenient that I’m already quarantined with the Bulldog videographer. This is my brother Matt, and we share germs and genes!
How To Maintain a Yoga Practice With Kids at Home
We wanted to talk about what it’s like to maintain a yoga practice at home with kids. Currently, we are at home with our families A LOT more than usual, and it can be so difficult to homeschool and entertain our kids while also carving some much needed self-care and exercise for ourselves! So how can we make this happen? It’s easier than you think! I am a new mom with a 4-month baby at home, so I don’t have to homeschool or entertain him as much as an older child, but I have still found some ways to make practicing yoga at home a little easier!
Exactly! And when I say I’m lowering my expectations, I mean EVERYTHING in my life changed when Cam was born. My at-home yoga practice is not the super peaceful, calm experience it once was, but it is still so valuable. More than valuable, actually–it’s VITAL. So, in essence, I have lowered my expectations for the environment, but I have not lowered my expectations regarding my need for yoga! I still need to unroll my mat and move my body and actually have the experience of a yoga class, no matter how crazy and chaotic it may be!
Yes, I totally understand that! I feel like once you have experienced the magic of yoga in your life, you know how imperative it is to practice on a weekly, if not daily, basis. And I would think you would understand the importance of a yoga practice even MORE once becoming a parent! Are you even able to find a full hour to practice with a baby at home?
Yoga On-Demand Is Always Waiting for You
Hardly! A full hour is next to impossible with a baby at home, and I would assume the same for older kids at home! I have to squeeze it in when I can, which makes on-demand yoga so essential in my life right now. I practice in little bits and pieces which make shorter work-outs SO ideal! Sometimes I will even do a short and sweaty (bulldog bite) work-out in the morning when I need to wake up! And then a short cool-down stretch at night when I need to wind down! It’s so important to soak up all the ME time I can, and schedule in a work out whenever, even if I only have 20 minutes! Some movement is ALWAYS better than no movement!
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Just 20 Minutes is All You Need
Also, according to the Mayo Clinic and the Department of Health and Human Services, even small amounts of physical activity are helpful. Being active for short periods of time throughout the day can add up to provide health benefits.
Yes, I totally hear that! I also love the bulldog bites for my own schedule! Since I work on contracts for different clients, sometimes my work schedule doesn’t allow me to have a full hour either! I need to squeeze it in when I can, and even a 20-minute fast and fiery flow mid-day for me can make or break my energy for my afternoon calls and meetings!
Yes, I totally agree! Even before kids, I would squeeze in a class whenever and wherever I could! And I didn’t beat myself up if I had to start late or stop early. Life happens!
Get It In While Your Kids Are Napping
With baby Cam, I don’t always wait until nap time. Although it’s tempting to squeeze in my work-out while he naps, nap time is SO precious, it’s also an amazing time for me to actually do other necessary things, like shower, answer emails, do the laundry, and my actual paying job, along with so many other things.
Also, nap time is unpredictable! Some days he will nap for the coveted 60 or 90 minutes of dreamland… but other days I’ll hear that blood-curdling baby cry after only 10 minutes! I have found that sometimes the best times for me to flow are when he is awake and happy! When he is on his play mat kicking & playing, I do my own movement on my yoga mat next to him! I crank up the music and we can both get our energy out together!
I wonder what it’s like if you have older, school-aged kids at home? I’m sure doing yoga at home with a new baby can be incredibly hard, but during these times, especially, with school-aged kids now home instead of at school, it must be a total shock to your schedule with the routine of homeschooling and other aspects of having kids home 24/7.
Yes, I cannot even imagine! Should we add Tessa to include her in our discussion?
Brit and I have been discussing how to maintain an at-home yoga practice with kids at home, and Brit gave some insight into what life has been like with a new baby but we thought a day in the life for you may be even crazier now that you are homeschooling your kids! How do you even fit in one high plank while homeschooling??
Insight On Yoga With Kids at Home From Bulldog Leader, Tessa
Yes! It is HARD! My daughters, Lola and Sloane, are 11 and 8 years old, so they are somewhat self-sufficient, but they still need a lot of direction to keep their day structured and their school studies in order! It is a day-by-day learning process, but now that we’re multiple weeks into our new normal, I’ve learned a few things about how to keep my at-home workout a priority while also maintaining their school routine and keeping them enriched and entertained.
Wow, you are a rockstar! How do you make it work?
First things first, literally and figuratively, I have to put my workout first in the list of priorities, but I also have to literally plan my work-out FIRST thing in the morning. If I don’t get my workout routine in early, before the girls wake up and their at-home school day begins, it won’t happen. It may be hard to get started with a 6AM workout, but I promise, if you stick with it, it will happen and will make the rest of your day that much easier.
That’s amazing! I feel the same way in my own life. An early AM work-out can be daunting at first, but you don’t always do it because you want to, you do it because you have to, and then life works so much better. An d the plus side: your work-out for the day is done!
Flow In the Mornings
And According to Heart.org (the American Heart Association), although we may hear that the best time to exercise is early in the morning for your metabolism and other reasons, if you’re not a morning person, it may not work for you to try to get up at dawn to work out. The key is to do what’s most likely to work for you consistently.
Another tip: don’t stress about your style! Some days it feels good to put on my favorite leggings and tank and stretch it out like I am on the cover of an athleisure magazine. Other days, I may be in my tie-dye sweats and a messy bun, and I can still get it done! I don’t waste time fretting about my outfit, and also the amazing thing about working out at home is that no one can see you!
I totally agree! Sometimes I wear sweats too–sweat in sweats! Haha
Yes, and aside from relaxing my style, I relax my rules for my kids on snacks and devices and TV while I exercise! If I can’t get my work-out in at 6AM before the kids get up, l fit it in during the day, in between or after schoolwork, and I ease up on the girls’ activities while I work out. I let them have a snack and some device time while I get my work out in! During this time, I try to be judgement-free of myself, especially, but also when it comes to my self-care! I find trying to let loose and having less mom-guilt allows me to work-out in peace mentally and physically!
Yes agreed! Tessa – Do the girls ever join you on the mat?
Have Your Kids Join You On the Mat
Yes! Not everyday, but sometimes if I can’t get them occupied while I work out, I have them join me! Especially with an at-home yoga work-out, playing around with backbends and different stretches with my kids can be great for our bonding and our bodies! I love including my kids in many things that I do, so including them in an at-home yoga workout makes life that much sweeter!
That is so great! Also, per HealthyChildren.org from the American Academy of Pediatrics, children who regularly see their parents enjoying sports and physical activity are more likely to do so themselves.
OK, bulldoggers, that’s all we have for now! We know how incredibly hard it can be to keep up any exercise routine, especially an at-home routine with kids at home! But we’re always here to help, and with Bulldog Online, we have designed our classes to fit into ANY schedule, and we have created flows that are fun, fiery and full of tunes that are perfect for any setting.
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Thank you for hanging with us and discussing how to maintain your workout at home with kids at home!
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Yoga is great way to get moving with the whole family!