Back to School Workout Ideas: From Toddlers to Teens to You!

Back to school equals “back-to-reality,” and for the Powell Pack, that means new norm, new schools, and all four in various sports (cue the eye roll and extra long sigh). Between running little Rubes to dance, Marley to gymnastics, Matix to basketball, and Cash to jiujitsu (I’m out of breath just listing these), carving out time to work out feels nearly impossible most days. And I know we’re not alone in this either. You guys have written in many times asking for advice on how to break the trend of breaking their family’s fitness routines during this time of year.

The American Heart Association recommends that adults get 30 minutes of exercise a day and kids get a whopping 60 minutes. Might seem like a daunting task (or should I say CHORE), but luckily, throughout the years, I have mastered the “how-to” on this and often display tips on our social media channels for the world to see.

My fave family workout is shared below—in video form—to make it easy for you to mimic in your own home, getting your kids of all ages (toddlers to teens) and entire family off the couch and moving together. We’ve obviously been doing this for such a long time as you can see by how little the Powell Pack is 😉

You guys, here’s why I love a good circuit. Yes, it it true that moving through various exercises at a fast pace will

  • get the heart rate up
  • get many different muscle groups firing
  • challenge your skills in an incredible way

But the best part about our circuit workout is that it keeps it fun…or better put, it “gamifies” fitness (in other words, makes a game out of it!). The kiddos LOVE this, especially the timed component to bring a whole new level of fun and competition. And PS…did you SEE all 4 kids participating?? Win-win. Plus, we love to incorporate it with the activities that they already love. More often than not, this circuit is being completed by our entire neighborhood full of kids AND their parents.

How to Create Your Own Back to School Fitness Circuit

What you’ll need:

*This is an extensive list for ideas, but if you only have one or two of these items, or even just tape, get creative with objects around the home.

What you’ll do:

  • 2 x Over/Unders (climb over an obstacle—like a bench, then go under another—like a chair)
  • 10 Push Ups
  • 10-20 Walk the Lines (backward, forward, sideways “crossovers”)
  • 10 Sit Ups
  • Fast Feet (through an agility ladder or tape on the ground)
  • 10 Ball Squats (squat down to a stationary ball?you may bounce off of the ball at the bottom)
  • 10 Ball Slams (pick up the ball and slam it!)
  • 10 Box Jumps (jump onto a 12″-15? box then step down)
  • 1 Successful Ball Toss (throw a tennis ball into a bucket from 10 feet away)
  • 10 Cone Touch Shuttle Sprints (side-to-side shuffle)
  • Kick one soccer ball through the cones (soccer balls lined up and cones)

There are lots of ideas here—pick 5-10 of your favorites to build your own course! Sprint to the finish and keep your times for reference. You and your kids can compete against each other or yourselves.

Another Powell Pack fave way to get our kiddos moving is through an oldie, but a goodie, and if you’ve followed me for awhile, you’ve seen us play this one a time or two. Click here to play Deck of Cards.

We’re all about “gamifying” our workouts to keep them fun! A great component of this fitness game is that in addition to the classic way to play, you can actually theme the workout for different holidays or events (we did this for Thanksgiving). Either way you slice it, it’s so simple, so fun, and so draining, but the fun factor keeps it from ever feeling like anything but a game.

Need some more ideas to get your family up and moving? Here are some of my fave family-friendly workouts I’ve posted over the years. You’ll notice there are so many different styles + ideas—it’s nearly impossible NOT to—find something that suits your kiddos’ liking:

What do you do to keep your family active? Share below!

Xo,

17 Responses

  1. As a full time nurse and mama of 2, I’m trying to make sure my 3 year old is healthy and active . Love this post

  2. One of the most exciting things about becoming a new parent is involving our little guy in exercise with us, whether it’s running or making a fun game out of it, I can’t wait to show him how much we benefit from it! Being an active family is a huge thing for me, not only for our health but for our relationships!

  3. This is just awesome! My daughter workouts out with me now, we’ll between coloring with chalk on the patio and water her little plants (she is 2)!! But as she grows and other kiddos come along this will be a great activity to get them moving!! LOVE it!

  4. Hi chris m 24 and m 90kg …
    I need your help please help … i love somebody and i really want to confess my love to him but before that i want to b fit becuz i know he deserve the best and i want to b the best … help me chris

    1. Hi Kiya: You can learn all about Chris and Heidi’s carb cycling program – the same program they use on the show – in this post: https://heidipowell.net/9060. And be sure and follow all the links within the post too. Their program will teach you everything you need to know and do to achieve your transformation goals! You can do this! 🙂

  5. Hi my name is Trista
    I am 5 foot 4 220lbs
    41 years of age I am trying to lose 100lbs can you help with a bit of coaching and ideas.

  6. Love these! We do something similar with our mini trampoline and BOSU with our 7 year old who loves to jump. She lays out the dog’s toys and makes an obstacle course. A few months ago she was having a play date with a few friends and I overheard them complaining they didn’t want to “exercise” when she was showing them how to set it up. She politely explained it wasn’t exercising, it was playing! I think the more families focus on play and less on “ugh I hate exercise”, the better off we will be. It brought some perspective listening to a group of 7 year old girls already having that conversation! Now I’m off to tell her about the card game. Thanks again for great tips!!

  7. So impressed with these ideas. Thanks for your commitment to health and wellness for anyone motivated to seek out a path to fitness.

  8. Thanks so much for this! I showed my 9 yr old son and he smiled and asked if we could do it too!! Getting my equipment together…?

    1. Hi Tania: You can learn all about Chris and Heidi’s carb cycling program, the same program they use on the show, in this post: https://heidipowell.net/9060. And be sure and follow all the links within the post too. You can do this! 🙂

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