Working Out with Kids.

What a great gift it is to be a mom. The privilege of using my hands to help another human being grow into the fullness of who God created them to be... it is a beautiful thing, and also such a big responsibility. It is good that it weighs on me to some extent because it makes me depend on God. Serving family God's way... I alone, cannot.

Amongst the many areas this gift and responsibility impacts me is my health. I have seen how easy it is to not stress about what I eat and just eat what I want. I have seen how comfortably I can go about my days not even thinking about the health of my body. And I have done those things. I have lived putting other things as priorities for years. There are often good excuses: I had a stressful day, I did not sleep enough, I am on my period and just need chocolate, I am an adult I can eat what I want, there is no time between homeschool and managing the house. But what to do when you believe the Creator of heaven and earth has told you to stop with the processed sugar? What to do when He has told you to listen to your husband and be serious about movement?

You know... I have never heard God's voice audibly, and yet I know He has spoken to me. For years I have doubted; is that God speaking or my own ideas? For years I have asked Him to help me recognize His voice. And you know what... He has been. He has been teaching me!

So here I am finally taking it seriously, because the truth is He warned me my choices would lead to consequences if I did not start choosing to stop the processed sugar and to move more. And about 4 years later, here I am, and the health consequences have started. Am I too late? I pray I am not.

Sometimes I work out at home, but because the air quality was good (we are currently living in China) and the weather is nice, I swallowed my pride and laziness, put on my husband's weighted vest and worked out outside.

It was nothing fancy, but it got me moving. And the 1st portion alone gave me a good workload (according to my fitness watch measurement).

1st - A giant set of 3 movements for 10 minutes:

• 10 squats

• 10-15 modified push-ups (I did them off a playground equipment)

• 1.5-minute jog in place

2nd - I started a spontaneous game of tag with the boys. They were on bikes going around the playground. I tried to go on the hills to give my feet different terrain to walk on. This did not last long, I was not sprinting, but it was tiring.

3rd - My eldest suggested we speed walk around the playground, so I did for another 10 minutes.

Do you have a workout you can do with your kids? Please share I could use some ideas.

-Frannia