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Silly problem, but it's important to me! Need advice!

futuremrs.k's picture

DFH and I need to exercise, badly! We are both terribly out of shape and need to get healthy. For our sake and I think the kids too. Well, we have the kids certain nights throughout the week and nearly every weekend. In order to workout atleast 3 nights a week, we will have to do so on atleast one night we have the kids. They are little and can not be left alone. The gym we belong to has a kids play area that we can utilize, but I am afraid that DFH is going to feel too guilty about not spending the time with them and will nix the whole thing. He doesnt want to go to the gym in the first place and will use this as an excuse. We are both getting to the age where we need to think heart healthy and exercise for stress release and cardiovascular health! What do I do? How can I convince him this is right for our family?! That we will be setting a good example for the kids to live healthy lives and the stress release that we get there will only translate to a happier homelife with less bickering!

Comments

overmyhead's picture

Wii Fit from Nintendo Wii.....it is sooooooo much fun.....for all ages, and is surprisingly effective.....

StepMadre's picture

Yeah!!!!! I was going to suggest this too! I love, love, love my Wii Fit and it sounds like it would be perfect for your situation. It's really, really fun and seriously any age can do it. My mom told me that they are using them in nursing homes and with the disabled too because you can keep the exercise very gentle and modify it to fit a lot of disabilities. Our skids love it too and they have a lot of fun games that are also great exercise. I love the yoga and have taken a lot of yoga in real life and am a ballet dancer and I can say that the way they present and teach it is probably the most accurate and technically correct way of learning yoga outside of a class that i've ever come across. The board is amazingly accurate and "trainers" give you constant feedback and help you correct your own technique. It keeps track of your weight and your fitness goals and gives little fitness tips and advice as well as all the regular features. We keep our board under the couch and when I want to work out, I just slide it out and turn it on. They have aerobics, balancing games, yoga, running and tons of sports like rhythmic boxing, skiing, snowboarding, soccer ball heading and a lot more. It teaches you to develop core strength and improve your balance and you can focus on all over fitness, muscular development and/or weight loss or gain. My Wii Fit actually helped me GAIN weight when I programmed it in. It motivated me and kept track of my weight progress and I was able to focus on muscle building and toning. It's just so much fun and an easy way to get your daily exercise. A little piggy bank keeps track of how many minutes you have exercised and even fifteen minutes a day would cause positive results. It's so much fun that it really doesn't feel like exercise! We always bust it out at holidays and it's so funny to see my dad getting so into it. He and my mom did a boxing competition with each other on Christmas morning and my entire family was helpless with laughter because they were so into it. They kept moving closer and closer to the tv and yelling taunts at each other and I had to pull my mom back so she wouldn't accidentally punch the tv! The basic Wii also comes with the sports pack and that has a lot of fun games on it too-tennis, bowling, golf, boxing etc...I really, really want the expanded Wii Fit because I hear that it has incredible programs, but I am very happy with my Wii Fit and my whole family loves it (my best friend comes over three times a week to work out on it-she has a key and just comes in and does her workout, it's awesome because she doesn't have a Wii but doesn't have to pay gym fees and then we can have a glass of wine afterwards and gossip!).

If you have a Wii (the best console in my opinion) and want to get in great shape and be healthy, I would highly recommend getting one. Easy, fun and great exercise without paying to go to the gym. You don't have to leave your house and can stop to do other things if you're multi-tasking and things like that. It's a great investment and a lot more valuable than a gym membership, especially if you already have reservations about using the gym.

CowGirl's picture

I used to jog while my daughter rode her bike. If you go to a park then you can play tag, soccer & all kinds of things that will get you exercise & kiddos can have fun too!

startingover2010's picture

go by yourself then! let him see how good u feel and look after a couple months, then maybe he will do it too. and the excuse about the kids.....seems u get them alot and a work out for an hour wont kill the relationship he has with them.

Dawn-Moderator's picture

Maybe the kids will have fun and the play place at the gym and actually want to go.

Dawn

futuremrs.k's picture

Thanks everyone! This has given me some great ideas! Maybe we could go three times a week one week and then the next week go twice and add the park! Who knows, but I think its about compromise! Smile

StepMadre's picture

Also, especially with little kids and if you're not too self conscious, just putting on fun pop music and dancing around is really fun and great exercise. SS5 and my nephew (3 yrs) LOVE it when I do this and their favorite is Michael Jackson. They usually get the giggles watching me dance around and finally they let loose and I have two little groovesters on my hands. They know all the lyrics to their favorite songs and it's so cute to see them dancing so unselfconsciously and having so much fun. I am a complete and total mega dork when it comes to dancing and have no shame, so I totally let loose and dance around crazily. We always end up laughing hysterically and being out of breath and feeling great. It's free, a wonderful mood lifter and great for getting the energy out of little boys (and girls) on days that you can't take them to the park or if they're full of energy and wild.