4 living-room workouts you can do with your kids (no equipment)
Rainy Saturday, kids bouncing off the walls, and you haven't worked out all week. Good news: you can fix both at once. Each game gives the kids a real job, so they're running the show while you get the reps in.
Before you start: clear a space away from table corners, play on carpet or a rug, and furniture is never part of the course. Go only as deep or as long as feels good today.
Hot Lava Dad
Kid's job: Lava Lord. Decides where the stones go and which one sinks next.
Lay couch cushions and pillows across the living room floor as stepping stones. Everyone crosses without touching the floor. Dad does squats on every cushion he lands on.
5 squats per cushion
- The Lava Lord removes one stone after every round
- Dad carries treasure (a laundry basket) across
- The lava rises: dad has to cross in a crouch
Safety: Cushions on carpet so they don't slide on hard floors. Furniture is not a stone: no jumping off couches, tables or beds. Clear away toys and sharp corners.
Daddy-Up Derby
Kid's job: Jockey. Yells "Daddy-up!" and "Whoa, Daddy!"
Get on all fours. Your jockey climbs on and holds your shoulders. Crawl laps of the living room. Every time the jockey yells "Whoa, Daddy!" you freeze and hold still for five seconds.
3 laps
- Obstacle course around the couch cushions
- Pony Express: deliver a "letter" to every person in the house
- Siblings take turns; whoever gets the fastest lap picks the bedtime book
Safety: Carpet or rug only, away from table corners. Crawl and sway gently; no bucking. Kid holds your shoulders or collar, never your neck or hair. Never on stairs.
Freeze Pop
Kid's job: DJ. Picks the songs and controls pause.
When the music plays, everyone dances. When it stops, everyone freezes in a squat until it starts again.
5 songs
- Freeze in a plank instead
- Slow songs mean slow-motion dancing
- Dad freezes holding a squat while the kid hugs his neck from behind
Safety: Clear space away from furniture corners. Squat only as low as is comfortable, heels down.
Dad Joke Plank-Off
Kid's job: Opponent and heckler.
Get into planks side by side. Take turns telling jokes. The first one to laugh so hard they drop loses. Best of three.
Full planks
- Side planks only
- Kid holds a stopwatch and the record goes on the fridge
- Dad has to plank with one foot up
Safety: On carpet or a mat. Keep a straight back and drop to your knees as soon as your lower back sags or hurts.
Does this really count as a workout?
Yes. Playing hard with your kids takes about the same effort as a brisk walk. All four games back to back is about 50 minutes, a third of the 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week that health guidelines suggest for adults.