• Set up a standing "exercise date" with a friend on a day when your spouse is home.  You get time to exercise, time for yourself away from the kids, AND time with a friend--three in one!
• Wake up before the kids.  This can be a tough one, but the energy you'll feel from having worked out in the morning can make up for the lost sleep.
• Dance (or run or play or skip) with your child every day.  Setting aside just 20 minutes a day will greatly impact your health--and you'll have a blast doing it! 
• Take a class at The Little Gym.  Parents are active participants in classes for children under three.  Many parents choose to play an active role in all parts of the class, which means that once a week, they get a workout!
• Get a child-carrying backpack, and take a walk.  You'll both love it!  Note: be sure you maintain good posture and that you get a pack that distributes the weight evenly.  Look for a good hip belt that takes weight off your shoulders.
• Park far away.  Scope out a safe path to the grocery store or mall, and as long as you see one, park so that you have to walk with your kids.  It's good for them, too!
• Get a workout video, then set up a fun activity for your little one while you workout in the same room.  While they're coloring or building with blocks, you can interact and encourage while getting your heart going at the same time.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of exercising is the example it sets for your kids.  Our children look to us to see how to live their lives, and your commitment to take care of yourself will reap rewards for generations to come.  Signing your child up for classes at The Little Gym is the best way to create early habits of exercise in your children.

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