If you have children, you know time is never enough to do everything you want. Between work, cleaning the house, cooking, driving the kids around, and spending time with family, finding that one hour to go out on the run can become quite a challenge, especially when the children are still young and require much of your time and attention.
And while it’s easy to get them to play with your gear – hats, running sweatbands, watches, and more, it’s more difficult to get them to concentrate for at least half an hour and go outside to run with you.
In this article, we will share our most successful tips and tricks for running with your kids and what you can do to ensure you have some time for yourself and your hobby if you cannot take them on runs with you. So, if you’re a busy parent who wants to continue logging the miles, keep reading.
How To Begin a Running Journey With Your Kids
We all know how easy it is to get the kids distracted these days – you give them a tablet or a phone, and they can stare at that screen for hours on end sometimes, you think, without even blinking. And while that’s a working method for when you want to have 30 minutes to yourself, it’s not really the healthiest option for children, who can easily get addicted to these devices and forget they actually exist in the real world.
On average, the recommendation for kids aged 6 to 17 is to get at least one hour of activity per day – dancing, basketball, tennis, gymnastics, and running. So, if you’re a parent who already loves to jog or even someone competing in random races, transferring your love for the sport to your children is a terrific way to indulge in your hobby and instill these healthy habits in the future generation.
However, that’s easier said than done, so in the next paragraphs, we will look at some of our best tips and tricks to get your kids kickstarted on their running journey.
Begin with Walks
At the very start, running can be incredibly challenging for anyone new to it, so it’s good to begin with walks first. Take your kids and get them to the park, where you can walk around and discuss their day. During these walks, try to challenge the kids to race to the next tree or mailbox. That way, you can make it fun for them (especially if they’re younger), and for the older ones, you can get them to start by jogging with you for a few minutes, then resting and repeating the process.
Make it Fun
You’re not trying to get the kids to compete at the Olympics; you want them to start loving being active. For younger kids, running around in circles is no fun – so you have to think of ways to make running seem like a game. That can be done with different races, obstacle courses, or even a simple hide-and-seek game.
Be an Example
Regardless of whether they say it, your kids always watch what you’re doing, and you’re their first role model. So practice what you preach – show them how much you love running, how exciting it can be, and all the other positives of leading an active lifestyle. Don’t make it sound like a form of punishment or something that’s difficult and requires tons of effort.
Get Them the Right Gear
The first thing you should ensure your kids have are proper running shoes – without them, the risk of injury increases, and the potential setbacks seem bigger than the benefits. However, you don’t have to explain it to them in such a practical manner. Instead, make choosing the gear a fun activity that will get them excited for running – we all know that feeling of putting on your brand new shoes as a kid and feeling like a superstar, so try to give them that.
Change the Landscape
To keep things interesting, take your kids to different parks, courses, and even around the neighborhood. While you may enjoy even running on the treadmill daily, your children will likely enjoy the variety, and new places will seem far more exciting.
Encourage Them to Try Other Sports
Running provides a solid base for many other sports, from basketball to cross-country and even hockey. So encourage your kids to try out different sports in school and see what they truly love – after all, the most important thing here is to have them be active daily.
Running with Your Kids: Conclusion
As you can see, running with your kids may be hard, but it’s not impossible, so don’t write off the idea from the start. Instead, follow our tips, and we promise that your children will start becoming more engaged as they look to you as an example.