Pushing a double stroller will get me more fit than #crossfit

Okay, maybe that title is a slight exaggeration, but last month I started walking (okay, pushing) my kids to school in my double stroller. I have the bumble ride Indie twin, so it’s a jogging stroller and is about 34 pounds without kids….. Now, my 5 year old and 3 year old are built very sturdily (spitting image of me as a child) so this is no lightweight journey! Adding up the two kids and the stroller and it’s about 120 pounds that I’m pushing. (Probably explains why I tweaked my neck as I held onto the stroller and tried to push the crosswalk button at the same time, oops).

While it’s only 1.3 miles each way, it’s been quite the workout, takes about the same time as driving, and is really fun for my kids. We are up close and personal with the construction going on down the street, we walk by the fire station, and walking helps us notice things we wouldn’t see in the car! (Plus, now that I got my custom orthotic insoles and fit them into my awesome Brooks Ghost 12 running shoes, I feel unstoppable! Are they expensive? Yes. Are they the best running shoe, recommended to me by 2 podiatrists? YES! )

In fact, I actually get the kids to school earlier than if we drove, (and that’s something to be proud of, right moms?!)

Now, I know most people don’t live in urban areas where they can walk to preschool. But maybe the grocery store is less than a mile away, or a friends house, or the library? The best way to get exercise and stay in shape is to build fitness into your daily routine; make it work for you! You may dismiss a 2.5 mile walk, thinking, oh, I need a hard core workout to get back in shape. But I’m here to show you that such a belief is just not true.

I used to think the same thing…until my 20’s, when I lived in Portland, didn’t have a car, and walked everywhere. The 20 extra pounds from my late night college days melted away and I was in much better shape than ever before. (Kind of crazy, since prior to that I’d tried every fad diet and my weight constantly yo-yo’d up and down!)

Right now I’m probable the thinnest I’ve ever been (unintentional, just a result of the stress caused by the affair and ensuring divorce), but the reason I’ve been able to generally maintain my weight plus or minus about 5 pounds is by staying active and doing everything in moderation. (So I guess my mom was right after all, but I made her suffer many years of dramatic eye rolls and comments such as “whatever mom, you just don’t get it, I’m starting the atkins diet and doing a 2 hour workout”….sorry about that, Mom!) Fitness, eating, etc. – I’ve learned that moderation is key to success! Once you have kids, there will most likely never be time for “the perfect workout” every day. If there is, you are pretty much a unicorn and should share with everyone!

So instead of thinking that work outs won’t happen until your kids are in elementary school (and that’s in 2024!), stop seeing it as its own category, and just incorporate it into your life now! Walk your kids to the park instead of driving. Kids want to scooter? Hop on your bike and pedal alongside them, or lace up your running shoes and jog with them. Walk to the drug store/grocery store with a backpack and carry your purchase home if it’s just a few things you need. Making little changes will add up and result in a variety of health benefits, including maintaining your weight, reducing your stress, and boosting your happiness! I know that walking my kids to school is so much less stressful for me than loading them up in the car and sitting at stop lights…so if I have the chance to be outside and get some exercise instead, I’ll take it!

What tips do you have for incorporating fitness into your daily routine? I’d love to hear, especially from those who live in cold places and might not have the luxury of walking their kids to school in December in Brooks Ghost Vanilla Sprinkles running shoes….. (We are a bit spoiled here in San Diego!).