Ok, you love running. You love your kids. Sometimes you may love your kids more than running. Other times you may think you love running more than your kids when they are driving you crazy. Well, I am here to say that you can love your kids AND running at the same time, and everyone will be better off! These are my top 5 reasons you should run with your kids, whether it is pushing them in the stroller, or bringing them with you to the track.
1. You will stay sane.
This is my number one reason for running with your kids. You don’t have to give up what you love to do, and go insane in the name of putting your little ones first. Your runs may just look a little bit different than they used to. At first, this temporary change in your runs may seem eternal and unsatisfactory. In reality, this season doesn’t last forever because kids grow up and don’t require 24/7 care for their entire lives (or at least they shouldn’t.) So find a way to get your runs in! I have found that running with my kids in the stroller is way more agreeable than I expected. I can go whenever I want to, during awake time, or during nap time. Nothing puts my babies to sleep faster than a stroller run! And even after just a short 30 minutes, I am so much more sane than I was before! Or, now that they are older, I can run laps around them at the track while they play. I even get extra miles in chasing them between repeats!
2. You will both enjoy the fresh air
We all know being outdoors is good for children. But did you know its good for babies too? Even from their first moments, being outside encourages brain development as babies are taking in a bunch of new sensory information from different sights, smells, and sounds. This study (linked here) also sighted that babies who receive more sunlight during the day sleep better at night. Who doesn’t love a baby who sleeps better at night?
The fresh air will do you good too, mama, after working hard inside doing dishes, laundry, cooking, working, or whatever else you may be doing. Soak up that Vitamin D, and feel your stress melt away. I don’t need a scientific article to tell me the benefits of being outside, but if you do, here it is.
3. You will run faster
OK, so sometimes my kids are not enjoying the fresh air, outside time, and exercise as much as I am. One, or maybe both, start crying. But those are the times that I run at record speed! During these moments, others on the greenway may simply hear the sound crying rapidly approaching, see a streak of something that appears to be a double stroller and a profusely sweating mama, and smell the faint smell of the smoke coming from my tires. Then, the apparition is gone, and I’m already back at the car unloading the criers.
In the four years I have been a stroller mommy jogger, I have really only had to cut a handful of runs short. My perspective is that my children can afford to be unhappy (as long as nothing is vastly wrong) for about 30-40 minutes while I get my run in. And wow, what a tempo run I get!
4. You can both enjoy exercising
Now that my children are ages 4 and 2, they can enjoy exercising, or just playing really, as much as I do! Whenever I am going for a run, I make sure to take their bikes and scooters , and as soon as I am done, we explore together. These are my favorite times. I am content that I got my run in, and can fully enjoy and be present with my kids as we play together.
5. You will demonstrate being healthy for your kids
So many of our actions speak louder than our words as our kids grow up. But one thing my children consistently see me do is stay active. Not only do they see me stay active, we also stay active together, and it is so fun. I’m not sure if either of my children will want to be runners as they get older, but what I do hope is that they choose an activity they enjoy doing that will keep them healthy for a lifetime, in a balanced, consistent way.
So, go get ’em, mama! If it seems hard at first, it will get easier as exercise becomes just another part of the routine. I have so many good memories of my runs with my kids, and I know we will have many more!