Episode 22Dec 29, 2025· 6:37

Too Busy With Kids to Work Out? How to Get Your Whole Family Moving Together

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About this episode

Episode covers how to integrate movement into family life when gym time feels impossible — specifically for parents with young children and people with partners who dislike traditional exercise. Ashley Grant explains active playtime at the park as a workout substitute, describes her own system of parallel gym trips where she and her husband each do preferred activities (Zumba vs. pickleball), and lists concrete…

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Who this episode is for

This episode may resonate with you if:

You have young kids and the gym feels like a logistical impossibility — by the time work, dinner, and bedtime are done, there's no window left for a solo workout.

Your partner has no interest in the gym or traditional workouts, and you're trying to figure out how to stay active without it becoming a source of friction in the relationship.

You and your partner both want to be more active but keep ending up at the gym separately or not at all — you're looking for a shared routine that doesn't require you to like the same things.

You've tried building a family fitness routine before but it collapsed because it was too ambitious — you're looking for something small and repeatable that actually sticks.

You have older kids and want to get them moving without it feeling like a chore — you're open to activities that double as family time or even friendly competition.

What you’ll learn

Stop separating fitness from family time — join kids in active play instead of watching from the bench

Meet your partner where they are — find what they actually enjoy instead of dragging them to your workout

Use the same outing for different activities — you don't have to work out together to work out at the same time

Prioritize consistency over intensity — something small every day beats an elaborate plan that only happens once

Questions this episode helps answer

How do I work out when I have young kids and no time?

answered

Ashley's answer is that you don't have to separate fitness from family time — instead of finding time away from the kids to exercise, you join them at the park, chase them around, get on the swings, play tag, do the monkey bars.

"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"

Can I get exercise just by playing with my kids at the park?

answered

Ashley says yes — you'd be surprised how much of a workout you get by being an active participant in playtime instead of sitting on the bench scrolling through your phone.

"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"

How do I get my husband or wife interested in being active without dragging them to the gym?

answered

Ashley shares from her own experience with her husband — find activities they actually enjoy rather than forcing gym-style workouts, and if you don't like the same things, go to the same place on the same night and each do your own thing.

"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"

What do you do when you and your partner have totally different ideas of exercise?

answered

Ashley describes exactly what she and her husband do — on Mondays she goes to Zumba and low-impact cardio, then he does pickleball afterwards, so they're both out, both active, doing things they enjoy, and it doesn't feel like a chore.

"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"

What are fun ways to get the whole family moving?

answered

Ashley lists specific low-barrier ideas by age group — for young kids: dance parties in the living room, backyard obstacle courses with hula hoops and jump ropes, after-dinner walks; for older kids: family plank or push-up challenges, weekend hikes, teaching them sports you loved as a kid.

"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"

How do I make exercise feel less like a chore for my family?

answered

Ashley's framing is 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.

"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."

Setting expectations: This episode is not about structured workout plans, gym routines, or fitness programming for families. It's Ashley sharing her own situation with her husband and a friend's struggle with young kids, and suggesting small, low-pressure ways to fold movement into time you're already spending with family.

Tone & style

Personal experience and opinion. Suggestions come from Ashley's own life, not research or expert guidance.

toneUpbeat & practical

focusReframing family and partners as part of the movement solution rather than the obstacle — with concrete activity ideas for different family situations.

stylesolo_monologue

energymedium

complexitybeginner

pressure Levellow

emotional Textureencouraging, light, practical

Notable quotes

"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."

— Famous Ashley Grant

"meet them where they are. Don't drag your partner to a spin class if they hate indoor cycling."

— Famous Ashley Grant

"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"

— Famous Ashley Grant

"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."

— Famous Ashley Grant

"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"

— Famous Ashley Grant

Episode transcript

Organized into 4 chapters — open any part to read the full text.

0:121. Family as Obstacle vs. Part of the SolutionAshley 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.1:482. Getting Partners Involved Without Dragging Them to the GymAshley 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.2:593. Practical Ideas for Moving as a FamilyAshley 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.4:374. Modeling Habits, Starting Small, and the Weekly ChallengeAshley 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.

Open full transcript

Mentioned in this episode

personFamous Ashley Grant

The host of More Movement Please, who shares personal experiences with her husband and a friend to frame the episode's discussion about family fitness.

Key themes

Family as fitness barrier vs. built-in workout partner

Ashley reframes the common complaint that kids and partners block exercise time, arguing instead that they can be folded into movement rather than worked around.

Active playtime instead of bench-sitting

Ashley describes the specific shift of actually chasing kids at the park and doing monkey bars rather than sitting on a bench scrolling through your phone.

Meeting partners where they are, not where you want them to be

Ashley draws on her own situation with her husband — who won't go to the gym but will play pickleball — to argue against dragging a partner into activities they hate.

Parallel activity at the same time and place

Ashley describes her actual Monday routine where she does Zumba and her husband does pickleball at the same gym, so they both get out and get active without needing to want the same thing.

Movement doesn't have to look like traditional exercise

Ashley questions what 'traditional exercise' even means and points to pickleball, dancing, dog walking, and kayaking as legitimate movement options.

Concrete activity ideas for different family setups

Ashley runs through specific suggestions split by age group — living room dance parties and backyard obstacle courses for young kids, family challenges and fun runs for older kids, active dates and recreational leagues for partners.

Modeling active habits for kids and partners

Ashley frames family fitness as showing kids and partners that movement is just part of life, not a chore that takes you away from each other.

Consistency over intensity

Ashley argues it's better to do something small together every day than to plan an elaborate family fitness routine that happens once and then never again because it was too much.

Starting where you are, not where you think you should be

Ashley tells listeners not to worry about a partner's fitness level or a kid's abilities, pointing to a 10-minute walk or five minutes of active play as legitimate starting points.

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