Fitting Exercise Into Your Day as a Nanny

Exercising with Wii Fit

How Nannies Can Keep Fit

It can be difficult to find the time to exercise because of the demands of working as a nanny. But it's healthy for you and the children in your care to build exercise into your daily schedule. By walking and playing with the kids you can create an exercise program for yourself while working.

Walking the dog together, instead of just letting it out the back door to do their "business," can be a fun way to get exercise each day. Try walking or riding bikes to school, the library, or on errands whenever possible. Invite other kids and nannies to meet you at the park or playground for playdates. And in the winter shoveling snow, sledding, and making snowmen can provide a great workout.

Play a game of Tag. Weather conditions only enhance the game of Tag. When playing Tag in the snow, the act of running is harder and requires more aerobic output in a shorter amount of time. Playing tag while in the pool offers exercise opportunities while children are enjoying the water.

Have mini-olympics indoors or out. Have the children compete in different physical contests. Handstands, jump rope, and jumping jacks can all be turned into fun contests. Or you can simply challenge children to 50, 100, or 150 jumping jacks. Rope jumping contests can include who jumps the longest or who has the most creative jumps. Playing balloon volleyball or just trying to  keep balloons afloat provides a great workout.
 
A few weeks ago, we highlighted goals and devices that could be part of a healthy lifestyle that could be used daily and over a lifetime. Here are other products to use to help work exercise into your work day.

Not all video games create couch potatoes. Wii Fit has workout-themed games. Encourage the kids to get physical by skiing, dancing, balancing and more with Wii. Just Dance 4,EA Sports Active 2 and NFL Training Camp, Exerbeat,DanceDanceRevolution, and Wii Fit Plus all provide kids and their caregivers with a great workout while playing games.

Some nannies choose to enhance their fitness by using their computers or doing their reading at stand up tables. Choices start with simple adjustable wheeled desks such as the FurinnoFolding Multipurpose Personal Notebook Stand.Various sizes of electric and manual models are readily available including the WorkFit-S, LCD Laptop Sit-Stand Workstation.Multi functional treadmill desks like LifeSpan TR800-DT Treadmill Desktop (2013 Model)are the most sophisticated.

How do you exercise with the kids at your nanny job?