Can you keep up with your kids?

[Starship951]

I'm starting to become aware that I won't be able to keep up with my kids soon as I'm unfit.
At the moment, the youngest is 9, and I used to have the excuse of staying back with her.
Now as we're back to swimming lessons and out and about more, I can see that probably by next year, she'll be a stronger swimmer than me and ride faster and for longer. The dc also whizz up stairs much more easily.
I want to be able to keep up with dcs so I'm looking into improver swimming lessons and start committing to exercise. Being overweight is obviously not helping either.
What do you all do?

I accept that I'm older and they are younger, so obviously they are going to 'overtake' me and it's the natural way of things. It's just what happens.

I agree that they will over take you and that's OK. DSS is 10 and he can sprint faster then me but I can jog longer then him. He is a good while away from overtaking me in swimming but I swim 2-3 times a week for exercise. He can get a basketball in the hop far better then me and is far better at computer games but that's OK life's not a competition. At some point in the next few years I'm sure he will swim faster then me and be able to jog longer.

I would say focus on your fitness for your own health and wellbeing rather then doing it to keep up with your kids. Im partial to swimming as it low impact and my knees were starting to struggle with running. Pick something you enjoy as you are far more likely to stick with it.

I know what you both mean, that it's fine for dc to overtake but I think my fitness is a bit embarrassingly low.
I need to stop often and used to have younger dc as an excuse. But I should be able to keep going a bit longer than I do.
It's a bit of a wake up call.

You can always improve your fitness and its never too late to begin!

I've never felt I couldn't keep up with them, I'm not "fit" but I was early 20s when I had them. Although I get pretty exhausted when I have my nieces/nephews who are babies/toddlers, that's mostly mental exhaustion though!! Couldn't do it all again now.

I’m fairly fit but my dd is the national champion for her age in one of the sports you mention above. It has been a very long time since I could keep up. 😂

Dh - who also trains several times a week in the sport - is just about clinging on - I give him another year. Am very much looking forward to it when she starts dropping him!

They can outsprint me (except in the pool) which is fine, but I have better endurance. I'm reasonably fit but am aware that they will get quicker and I will get slower. Depends on your age too; I'm over 50 and they are 12 and 15.

Definitely keep as fit as you can as long as you can.

I can out swim them both (11 and 13).
We are equal on a bike - although I can do up hills faster.
They both completely out run me, and have done for several years. I go running with DS1 quite often. He runs ahead to the next marker, then comes back to me. Then he wants to chat while I puff along, so I send him off again! Not quite sure why he doesn't just go by himself tbf.