Indoor Obstacle Course Workout for Moms
Staying active during the winter months doesn’t have to mean choosing between entertaining your kids and getting your own workout in. Why not combine the two? Setting up an indoor obstacle course is a creative way to keep your kids moving and having fun while giving you a playful, movement-packed workout. Here’s how to design a course that’s simple, effective, and fun for everyone involved!
1. Choose Your Space
Pick an area with enough room to move around safely. A living room, playroom, or even a cleared hallway works well. Move furniture aside if needed, and use rugs or mats to prevent slips.
2. Gather Materials
Look around your home for items you can use to create a dynamic and playful course:
Cushions or Pillows: For climbing or jumping over.
Chairs or Stools: To crawl under or incorporate balance challenges.
Tape or String: To create balance beams or "laser" obstacles.
Plastic Cups or Cones: For weaving or agility runs.
Hula Hoops: For jumping in and out.
Stuffed Animals or Toys: As targets for tossing balls or beanbags.
Laundry Baskets or Boxes: For crawling through or tossing toys into.
3. Design the Course
Think about creating a variety of movements that challenge coordination, balance, strength, and cardio. Here’s a sample course:
Station 1: Jumping Zone: Line up pillows or cushions to leapfrog over.
Station 2: Crawl Tunnel: Use chairs or a blanket to create a tunnel to crawl through.
Station 3: Balance Beam: Lay down a strip of tape or string to walk on with arms out for balance.
Station 4: Toy Toss: Toss soft toys or beanbags into a laundry basket.
Station 5: Agility Weave: Set up cups or cones to zigzag through.
Station 6: Climbing Challenge: Stack cushions for kids to climb over and adults to step up and down from.
4. The Parent-Friendly Twist: A Playful Workout Circuit for Moms
This isn’t about squeezing in traditional exercises while your kids play—it’s about joining in and tapping into your inner child. Here’s how to use the obstacle course as your own workout:
Jumping Zone: Perform walking lunges over the pillows, or even some soft-legged jumps if your pelvic floor is feeling up to it!
Crawl Tunnel: Crawl through the tunnel with your kids, engaging your core and shoulders. If your kids are feeling patient, you can even throw in a few bird dogs on each side to engage your core. For an extra challenge, hover your knees to bear crawl around the tunnel and race your kids to the next station.
Balance Beam: Walk heel-to-toe along the tape, but add dynamic movements to make it more engaging. Try balancing a lightweight object (like a stuffed animal) on your head as you walk, or pause midway to perform a one-legged balance hold with arm movements. One of my favorite moves is to add in some one-legged calf raises, which I don't often do in my other workouts. Make it playful by pretending you’re crossing a tightrope over a river filled with imaginary alligators!
Toy Toss: Let's be honest - your kids are going to get those toys all the frick over the place, so this is your chance for some cardio. I like to have my kids turn me into an animal of their choice, and then my challenge is to retrieve the tossed toys as quickly as possible while moving as that animal for a certain amount of time. It sounds easy until you're heaving your way back and forth as a beached whale for two minutes.If that's not your thing, this is also a great time to practice some functional movements, like squatting to pick up the toys. I've also set myself up as the target in a plank and I have to hold it until they run out of things to throw at me (soft toys only).
Agility Weave: Run, shuffle, or skip through the cones as fast as you can. Challenge your kids to a crab walk race through the track - trust me, it's surprisingly difficult. This is also a fun place to incorporate sliders or paper plates to "skate" through the course.
Climbing Challenge: Use the cushion stack for step-ups, alternating legs. Kids can climb, and you can make it a strength move by adding a knee drive or arm reach at the top.
5. Keep It Fun and Fresh
To keep everyone engaged:
Switch Roles: Let your kids design the next course or challenge you to complete it in a funny way (e.g., while quacking like a duck).
Add a Timer: See how many rounds you can complete in 10 minutes.
Incorporate Themes: Create a “safari adventure” or “space mission” course for extra imagination.
6. End with a Cool Down
Wrap up with a family stretch session to calm down and connect. Simple yoga poses like child’s pose, butterfly, or downward dog are great for all ages.
