I’m a mother of three, who believes that living an active lifestyle is of the utmost importance not only for my sanity but for my childrens as well. As a result, I am constantly striving to find ways to keep the kids motivated to move!

We live in LA, which makes it hard to walk out our front door and let the kids run loose. So I’ve made it my goal to find close ‘hiking’ areas where the kids can run free.  A favorite spot of mine for this is Runyan Canyon – a local spot popular for hiking. Even though it can be as busy as the 405 freeway, at least I don’t have to worry about the kids getting hit by cars!

Here are some tips for getting a great workout with your kids:

Let’s Race!

I make it fun for the kids by having little mini-races up the hill to see who’s the fastest, therefore incorporating some interval training into my hiking, bonus! The kids the love the challenge of making it to the top of the hill, not only for the view but because I am so proud of them. And at the end of the day, kids really do want to make their parents proud.

Break Time = Mom Time

When the kids want to stop for a snack, water break, or just play with a stick, I keep the workout going with jumping jacks, squats or lunges to make the most of my time (because as a busy mom ‘time’ is of the essence) before you know it you have killed an hour, got a great workout, kids were moving and you had some good quality time together.

Fall is upon us, so take advantage of these last few warm days and nights to get outside and enjoy Mother Earth. You can get some exercise and most importantly be with your kids!