Transcript: Too Busy With Kids to Work Out? How to Get Your Whole Family Moving Together
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Ashley 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.
Welcome to More Movement, Please. This is famous
Ashley Grant, and this is the podcast that inspires
you to move your body more. Today, we're talking
about something I hear all the time. Ashley,
I'd love to work out, but I have kids, or my
partner isn't into fitness, so it's hard to stay
motivated. And look, I get it. Life is busy,
and when you have a family, it can feel impossible
to carve out time for the gym. But here's the
thing. What if I told you that your family doesn't
have to be an obstacle to movement? What if instead,
they could actually be part of the solution?
So today, let's talk about family fitness fun.
But first, let's address the elephant in the
room. I have a friend who's sort of in this exact
same situation. He's got young kids, and the
idea of going to the gym feels like a luxury
that he just can't afford time -wise. Between
work and dinner and bedtime routines and everything
else, when is he supposed to fit in his workouts?
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
actually play with them. Chase them around, get
on the swings, play tag, do the monkey bars.
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
through your phone. And for those of you with
older kids, even better. Family bike rides, hiking
adventures, backyard sports, these are all opportunities
for movement that also build memories and connections
with your children. But now let's switch gears
Ashley 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.
and talk about partners. This one's personal
for me because I'm actively working on this with
my own husband. He's not necessarily one of those
guys that likes to go to the gym and lift weights,
but he does like... activities like pickleball
and sports he's actually interested in. So here's
what I've learned. Movement doesn't have to look
like, you know, traditional exercise, because
what is that anyway? If your partner's not into
going to the gym, that's okay. Find activities
they actually enjoy. And like I said, for my
husband, it's pickleball, it's tennis, soccer,
those kinds of things. For someone else, it could
be swimming or dancing, rock climbing, or even
just walking the dog together. The key is to
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
maybe while you're doing the workouts that you
want to do, you take them to the gym and they
go and do the things they want to do. This is
exactly what my husband and I have been doing.
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
Ashley 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.
doesn't feel as much like a chore. So here are
some practical ideas for getting your family
moving together. For families with young children,
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
be long, even 10 minutes of movement. is more
movement than you're probably doing now. And
if you have them, consider doing active video
games, but set time limits. For families that
have older kids, try these. Weekend hikes or
nature walks. Teaching them sports that you loved
as a kid. Or maybe you could do family challenges
like who can hold a plank the longest, or who
can do the most jumping jacks, or who can do
the most push -ups. Sometimes being competitive
is a great way to get kids moving. Volunteering
for active causes together, that could also be
fun. Like think about doing park cleanups or
even fun runs where you're raising money for
charity. Forgetting your partner involved. Maybe
find a shared interest. It could be tennis or
salsa dancing or even something as simple as
kayaking or hiking. And then make it a date.
Instead of dinner and a movie, try mini golf
and a walk. And then another thing you could
do is join a recreational sports league together.
Then again, if you don't like doing the same
things that they do, that's okay too. So just
be their accountability buddy. Check in with
each other about your movement goals and maybe
set couple goals together. Like maybe you could
train for something together and that could be
one way you bond. But here's the thing. It's
Ashley 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.
a beautiful thing about family fitness. You're
not just getting yourself moving. You're modeling
healthy habits for your kids or your partner.
You're showing them that movement is fun and
not a chore. And you're showing them that staying
active is just part of life. And for those of
you that are worried about your partner's fitness
level or maybe your kid's abilities, don't be.
Just remember to start where you are. If your
partner hasn't been active in years, a 10 -minute
walk may be the perfect start. If your kids are
little, even just five minutes of active play
counts. Progress is progress as long as you're
making some sort of movement a priority in your
life. And I also want to mention something that's
kind of important, and that's 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.
So here's your challenge for this week. I want
you to pick one family fitness activity to do
and do it. Just one. Nothing crazy. Don't get
nuts. Maybe it's just a simple dance party with
your kids tonight. Or maybe it's asking your
partner to go for a walk with you after dinner.
It could even be signing up for a pickleball
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
family, your partner, that movement can be part
of your life together and not something that
takes you away from each other. All boards and
upwards, my friends. Have you worked out today?