I have run at least one marathon a year for over the past decade. During this time, my wife has had four kids. These little tykes do not add more time to our life (surprise!), but they certainly enrich it, and I’d give up running for them—if I had to. Fortunately, I don’t need to. I’ve trained for a dozen or so marathons with them by my side (or rather, in a running jogger I push), logging hundreds and hundreds of training miles. I don’t see it as a chore. Although I enjoy and need a few solo runs here and there, I generally prefer the companionship of the kids inside the stroller. Here are six benefits I’ve realized from running with my kids, although there are many more. They are also six reasons you should run (or keeping running) with your kids.
1. More time to exercise
Making time each day to exercise is tough. After we work, sleep, eat, and take care of other life responsibilities, we may only have an hour or two of time left each day. Some surveys [JB1] suggest that parents with children under 18 years old spend, on average, about two hours a day taking care of their kids. Although not always possible or appropriate, if you can kill two birds with one stone by mixing some of your child-caring time with exercise, your chances of fitting in a good workout each day will increase dramatically. I might not recommend lifting weights with kids or swimming laps with kids, because you probably want your kids to live to adulthood, but I recommend pushing your kids in a running jogger. You can probably fit it into your schedule better than you think. For example, if you need to be home while your child naps, and if your kid falls asleep in the car (or in a jogger), go for a run when its nap time. Or if you need to pick something up from the grocery store, run there with your kids. You may have access to a gym with a daycare, but if you don’t, or if you want to save money or want to enjoy other benefits of running with your kids, take them along with you on a daily run or walk.
2. More time with your kids
Again, time is a finite commodity, and running with your kids on board a jogger is an opportunity to spend quality time with your kids. A run with your child may just add to the “quantity time” bucket, and you may need to focus on filling the “quantity time” bucket in other ways, but you might be surprised at how meaningful your runs become. For example, if your child is old enough to talk and small enough to fit inside a running jogger, taking him or her on a run (or walk) might allow you two some good one-on-one conversation time with few distractions. Most of my kids enjoy the ride in silence, which has other benefits, but sometimes I find my runs filled with conversations centered on whatever comes into the mind of a three- of four-year-old. Try to make the run a quality time experience with your child. Studies show that kids with regular quality parent-child time have less behavior issues, better mental and emotional health, and improved physical health—in addition to the same benefits to you.
3. Better exercise
If you have a smooth jogger, the extra weight may not change the run as much as you think. But, as expected, a few studies show that running with a running jogger leads to more sweat: it requires 5% to 8% more energy and increases heart rate, lactate concentration, and the rate of perceived exertion and ventilation. I agree. Running with kids is certainly physically harder, especially when the run involves hills. While going up a moderate hill on a solo run is a mild shift in the workout, the same hill can become a beast when pushing a couple kids in a jogger. A steep hill can easily feel two or three times harder when done with kids. Coming down a steep hill can also be a bit tricky. The added weight increases your forward momentum and makes stopping harder. Although I wouldn’t avoid hills, I might ease my way into them. (And when you tackle a hill, make sure you kids cheer you all the way up!) If you are worried about how your body can handle pushing a stroller, ease into it. And if you are training for a specific race and have a specific training runs that you think may not work with kids, modify it a bit. My experience is that you’ll still be able to get in most—if not all—workouts scheduled in your training plan. In fact, some of my very best marathon training was done almost exclusively while pushing two young kids. I did fast runs, slow runs, intervals, sprints, and even monster hills. And when I passed other runners, I looked like an Ironman.
4. Extra storage for running gear
I love running without a water bottle, a phone, nutrition, or other running luggage strapped to my body, but these things are often necessary, especially on longer runs. I would carefully plan what I would bring and what I would leave. When I started running with my kids, I started bringing it all: a couple water bottles, my phone, a few snacks for me and my kids, and extra clothing—in addition to toys, books, blankets, and other items for my kids. The extra weight isn’t very significant, unless, perhaps, the route is very hilly. Hills with even a light jogger load can be especially tough, as I mentioned earlier. Although I did not have the freedom and agility of a solo run, nothing was strapped to my body when I took my kid-and-accessory filled jogger. In a way, I have more physical freedom and comfort when I run with a jogger. Also, running with a jogger makes overdressing a non-problem. Too hot? Shed the extra layer and throw it in the jogger.
5. More outdoor time and better overall health
Most of us spend way too much time inside. Way too much. An excessively gross amount, in fact. Some estimate that the average American spends only 7% of his or her time outdoors, with kids spending an average of 4 to 7 minutes outdoors and 7.5 hours glued to electronics. This is not only surprising but incredibly sad. Enjoying the outdoors regularly provides proven health benefits, including boosted energy, an improved immune system, enhanced creativity, better vision, and restored focus—to name a few. We are also better people when we are outside regularly, exposing ourselves to God’s creations. You may not be able to escape to a beautiful mountain trail or an ocean boardwalk every day, but run to a local park or playground, and let your kids get out and get their wiggles out for a few minutes before heading home. It will be good for everyone.
6. A happier spouse or partner
This is one of my favorite benefits—if not overall favorite benefit—of taking my kids running. My wife is a stay-at-home mom and spends most days taking care of our kids. She loves them, as do I, but she also enjoys respites from the challenges they bring. If I come home from a long day of work and need to de-stress through a run, I take the kids with me, and she gladly welcomes the break as an opportunity to de-stress herself. When I come home, a little absence from me and the kids made the heart grow fonder. Also, I sometimes don’t set an alarm. Instead, I let my kids wake me up (usually earlier than we’d like). The pitter patter of little feet before sunrise means that my wife gets to sleep in while I get to put those little feet in a jogger and enjoy the awakening beauty of the world outside. When I arrive home, not only am I rejuvenated and ready for whatever the day brings, but I have a better rested and more loving wife.
Every family situation is different, and all kids are unique. You will certainly experience other benefits of running with kids in a jogger. I’d love to hear about them.