How to Keep Exercising With Kids Ages 0-3

Walking is the perfect gateway exercise for new parents. It requires minimal equipment, can be done almost anywhere, and is gentle enough for postpartum recovery while still providing genuine health benefits.

Indoor Walking

When weather, timing, or your energy levels make outdoor walks impractical, indoor walking is your backup plan. I've logged thousands of steps inside using these techniques:

• Wear your baby in a carrier and pace through your home while they nap
• Create a simple circuit through multiple rooms

Stroller Workouts

Once you're ready to venture outside, a good stroller becomes your fitness partner. Beyond basic walks, try these stroller-based workout enhancements:

• Interval walking: Alternate 1 minute of brisk walking with 1 minute of recovery pace
• Hill repeats: Find a moderate incline and push the stroller up multiple times
• Park bench add-ons: At a park, use benches for modified push-ups or step-ups while keeping the stroller in view

The key advantage of walking workouts is their longevity, these remain effective and practical throughout all childhood stages, forming one reliable pillar of your family fitness routine.

Around the one-year mark, most children become fascinated with mimicry. This makes it the perfect time to introduce Radio Taiso, a Japanese calisthenic routine designed to be accessible for all ages and fitness levels.

Radio Taiso consists of simple, rhythmic movements performed to music, typically lasting just 3-5 minutes. The routine includes gentle stretching, basic strength movements, and coordination exercises—perfect for both adult maintenance fitness and a toddler's developing motor skills. For a beginner-friendly introduction to Radio Taiso, check out this simple video to follow along.

Why Radio Taiso Works for Families

• Brief duration matches toddler attention spans
• No equipment needed
• Movements are simple enough for children to attempt
• Music component adds engagement
• Creates a consistent, predictable routine

Don't worry about perfect form from your toddler. Success is simply joyful movement. Your child will naturally improve with repetition and you'll be surprised how quickly they learn the sequence.

By age two, most children are naturally curious and love to imitate their parents. Instead of creating kid-specific exercises, focus on your own flexibility routine and let them follow along as they wish. This approach ensures you get a proper workout while teaching them the importance of mobility. One of the go-to videos we use for flexibility can be found here.

Core Flexibility Routine

Focus on these fundamental stretches, holding each for 30-60 seconds. Your child will naturally try to copy what they can:

• Forward Fold: Standing with feet hip-width apart, hinge at hips and reach for toes
• Hip Flexor Stretch: Lunge position, back knee down, push hips forward
• Figure-4 Stretch: Lying on back, cross ankle over opposite knee
• Cat-Cow: On hands and knees, alternate between arching and rounding spine
• Downward Dog: Classic yoga pose that stretches entire posterior chain

Dynamic Stretching

Include these dynamic movements to improve range of motion:

• Arm circles (forward and backward)
• Standing trunk rotations
• Leg swings (forward/back and side to side)
• Hip circles
• Shoulder blade squeezes

Remember, the goal is to complete your own proper flexibility routine. Let your child manage their own participation. They'll naturally copy what interests them and what their bodies can handle.

Don't modify your HIIT workout for your kids, instead, let them join your regular routine. They'll naturally mimic what they can and rest when needed. This approach ensures you get an effective workout while modeling healthy exercise habits. Here's the default video I put on when we do HIIT.

Adult HIIT Format

Use a HIIT format that meets your needs. I like a 360 second work interval and a 30 second rest. Complete 3-4 rounds of the following:

• Burpees: Full movement with push-up and jump
• Mountain Climbers: Fast pace, driving knees to chest
• Jump Squats: Full depth with explosive jump
• Push-ups: Standard or modified on knees
• High Knees: Running in place with high knee drive

Workout Structure

Maintain a proper adult workout structure:

• 5 minutes dynamic warm-up
• 20 minutes HIIT intervals
• 5 minutes cool-down

Focus on your form and intensity level and not your childs. Some days they might do every exercise, other days they might just watch or do their own movement. The key is maintaining your workout routine while creating an environment where exercise is seen as a normal part of daily life.

The beauty of this system is its scalability. As your child grows from infant to toddler to preschooler, your shared exercise options expand while still building on previous activities. Here's my field-tested guide to exercising with children from birth to age three.

• Daily: Walking (indoors or with stroller) for 15-30 minutes
• 3-4 times weekly: Radio Taiso as a morning ritual (3-5 minutes)
• 2-3 times weekly: Flexibility games during afternoon play (15-20 minutes)
• 1-2 times weekly: Modified HIIT session (15-20 minutes)

Consistency should be your goal. Some days you'll complete a full HIIT workout; other days, success might just be a 10-minute walk around the living room. Both count as wins in the challenging world of parenting young children.