Exercise - How to do some with 18mth old DS in tow?

[oneplusone]

I have tried the gym but after 3-4 months he still hasn't settled in the creche so I've cancelled my membership.

I would just like to be able to do 15-20 minutes of quite energetic exercise around 3 times a week but find it very hard to work out when to fit it in. DD is in reception mornings only and she's home when DS goes for his nap in the afternoon. So I basically have no time without the kids til they're in bed by which time I'm too exhausted to do any exercise.

So any ideas/tips on how to fit some exercise into my day would be greatly appreciated!

TIA

I do home fitness DVD when the children are in bed (and DH is out)

bicycle with seat or trailer for kids?

more energetic housecleaning? www.weightlossresources.co.uk/exercise/tips/housework_workouts.htm

um...very fast walking with ds in pram, or cycling with him in bike seat (or if you are feeling more energic one of those cook trailers, which your dd could go into too, i think)

exercise dvd and lay out a mat for him to do his "exercises" on (so you dont trip over him every 5 seconds)

I used to do power walking with my really cumbersome 3 wheeler- I'd walk really fast for 15 minutes then turn round and come back again. Doesn't sound much but was better than nothing imo- I would walk so fast that I'd be slightly out of breath and go all red in the face (plus over lots of little bridges and up and down hills) so it must have been doing something!

I lost loads of weight by working up and down hills in my two in double buggy. Mine also used to like watching me, well at first they use to look at me like I was a nutcase but then they would join in and we would have a mad half an hour of dancing around the house with loud music

go for long bike rides with ds in a bike seat or a trailer in the back.

I go jogging with the buggy. DD quite likes it because it's whooshy to go so fast (ahem - not really that fast as am no Linford Christie).

Hope it's not going to get me into trouble, but I used to do exercise videos, using the babies as weights. They did seem to enjoy it - honest.

I lost all my weight from DS2 pushing a tandem buggy. I had a policy of walking everywhere, whatever the weather, if it would take less than 30 mins, and I left 5 mins late, so I had to go fast. Great abs too, as its like doing sit-ups everytime you have to get up a curb.

What about swimming? The swim to fit programme does a lot of swimming with floats - much harder work belive me. You could put baby in a rubber ring and use him instead of a float. He'll enjoy it too.

Sorry, I'd forgotten I'd started this thread .

Thanks for all your replies. Can you recommend a good exercise video to do at home? That would probably be my best bet as at least the kids could join in.

I also like the idea of riding a bike with DS in seat at the back. I see loads of mums around here doing that and am always slightly concerned about safety but I suppose I could give it a go.

DS is 1.5 and fairly heavy, do you know what sort of age/weight those child seats are suitable for?

Thanks.

I use Davina Power of 3 and am happy with it but it's the only one I've tried so by no means an expert.

Child seats are based on weight. Unless she is huge for her age I would have thought this is a good time for you to get one.