This is the scenario: it’s been a rainy week and almost all of the Stroller Warriors workouts have been canceled due to the weather. You’re not in the mood to run on the treadmill, but need a change of scenery from the home workouts. Fear not! There are several options!
1). Poor weather is the number one reason to invest in a weather shield for the stroller! Rainy day runs are refreshing. Dress yourself and the kiddos appropriately and head out for a rainy day run. My children loved riding along in the stroller while listening to the rain tap against the weather shield. The rain never stopped us from making a pit-stop at the park— donned in rain coats, pants, and boots, the kids were always ready to hit the park, stomp in puddles , or to dig in the dirt after a run!
2). Pack up and make your way to the indoor gym basketball court on base. Although running with a stroller is not an option at the base gym, it is easy to run laps around the basketball court and watch the kids play. Avoiding the monotony of running laps around a basketball court can easily be done. Try setting a timer for 5 minutes and running close-wise, take a 1-minute break, followed by 5 minutes running counter clock-wise. Laps can even be broken up with a set a squats. And let’s not forget about shuttle runs up and down the court…ask the kids to race with or against you! The best part about running in the basketball gym is that the kids will want to join in too!
1). Poor weather is the number one reason to invest in a weather shield for the stroller! Rainy day runs are refreshing. Dress yourself and the kiddos appropriately and head out for a rainy day run. My children loved riding along in the stroller while listening to the rain tap against the weather shield. The rain never stopped us from making a pit-stop at the park— donned in rain coats, pants, and boots, the kids were always ready to hit the park, stomp in puddles , or to dig in the dirt after a run!
2). Pack up and make your way to the indoor gym basketball court on base. Although running with a stroller is not an option at the base gym, it is easy to run laps around the basketball court and watch the kids play. Avoiding the monotony of running laps around a basketball court can easily be done. Try setting a timer for 5 minutes and running close-wise, take a 1-minute break, followed by 5 minutes running counter clock-wise. Laps can even be broken up with a set a squats. And let’s not forget about shuttle runs up and down the court…ask the kids to race with or against you! The best part about running in the basketball gym is that the kids will want to join in too!
Left: Members of SW Charleston got caught in the rain during their Tuesday run! Right: The following day the chapter switched gears and ran inside at the base gymnasium!
3). Not a fan of the basketball court? Check out the parent-child area in the base gym. Sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming trying to decide which exercise-machine to use. When I doubt, I usually opt for the rowing machine. Begin with 5-10 minutes of a dynamic stretch. For the main workout, try for a 3-5 minute warm-up on the rowing machine, followed by an interval row of 10 calories at a hard pace, 10 calories at a recovery pace for a total of 100 calories, and end with a 3-5 minute cool-down. This same scheme can be used on almost any cardio machine.
4). Find a covered picnic area and focus on strength training. Usually one of the parks on base will have a covered picnic area or gazebo- sometimes local communities have these areas too! Bring a box of chalk for the kids to use for drawing, or for making a hopscotch to burn some energy, all while you knock out some abs, pushups, squats, and don’t forget the burpees!
5). Jump! Take your kids to an indoor trampoline park…but instead of watching them from a crowded and uncomfortable bench, get a pass for yourself and jump away! Your kids will love having you jump with them, and trust me from experience, if you dedicate yourself to unbroken jumping for an hour, your calves will be screaming the next day (5 minutes at a time is a good lead-in to this one)!
Share your creativity, we’d love to hear what has worked for your and your little ones during a rainy week!
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