Fit and active parents of seven kids, ages 8, 6, 6, 5, 3, 2, and 1
We’ve all used the same excuse: No time to exercise since the kids came along! But Sheff and Deirdre Otis have seven kids ages 8 and under and have found ways to keep their busy family moving and stay in shape at the same time. Sheff writes the new Kid Fit column for Minnesota Parent, keeps a fitness blog at Dadiator-workout.com, and blogs about his family at SevenSidekicks.com. We talked right after the family got back from Sheff’s 10-year college reunion.
Parenting and fitness don’t mix for everyone, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.
Sheff: Some of the friends I met at reunion, who were very active and some were even great athletes — they had a baby and it displaced the priority of moving. I want to reach those dads on my blog.
How do you keep the whole family active?
Sheff: We have very active children to start. We look for opportunities to use the world as a playground — what I call guerilla exercise. I’ll use the playground as much as the kids will.
If there are tantrums in public places, we’ll find outlets, using exercise as redirection and for purging angst. I have a couple angsty kids. It really helps for them to squeeze things or to hang from chin-up bars.
I have chin-up bars in four doorways throughout the house, so you can’t walk for more than 15 feet without getting to a bar. And the kids have learned to chimney climb, so they get up to the bars themselves.
Not everybody’s allowed to do that.
Sheff: That’s another thing. We try to keep the house in order but with the understanding that it has to be an active playground to a certain extent. There are things about your kids that can drive you nuts, like when you do something fun with them and they just won’t let you stop. But that’s a plus when you’re working on your own physical conditioning. I could do 10 workouts in a day, and it’s probably about the same as what Deirdre does on a daily basis. I’ve literally seen her jump over snowbanks with three kids and groceries in either hand. She’s pretty amazing.
Deirdre, would you describe yourself as a fitness fanatic, like Sheff?
Deirdre: I have zero time to do exercise like I used to do. But I’m actually in the same place physically, so I’m really happy with that. It’s a Pilates mentality. I think of posture, how my body is being used throughout the day doing the mundane. Because there is so much mundane work in motherhood. You can create rhythm in your body that maintains a level of fitness. I love dancing. I put music on really loud when I’m cleaning and dance around with the kids. Our babies definitely dance before they can walk. When I hit that witching hour of four o’clock, I have to find some way for everybody to be moving.
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