Exercise for Parent and Child

A mom just conveyed this common dilemma to me:

You go out with your bike trailer and get a great workout hauling your little kid around, especially up the hills. Then, you get home and want to relax and your passenger is full of energy. What's the solution?

Let your child(ren) out to run around or bike around on their own after your ride. I even announce that this is the plan ahead of time so my kids have something to look forward to. A one year old will be happy just running around the yard. A two year old might be able to pedal around on a tricycle or trike, and a three year old could be on training wheels or on a no-pedal bike. The idea is to let kids get exercise just like you. You might need 45 minutes and they might need five or twenty-five, depending on the age and ability of the child, and on the day.

An Off-Road Ride

The other day, we did a creemie ride. A creemie is Vermont's terminology for soft-serve ice cream. My husband, Tom, cruised with our preschooler, Ava, via a trail-a-bike or tag-along and I hauled our toddler, Julia, in our Burley bike trailer. Our destination was the next town over but we had to take a detour to avoid busy Route 100, which has been especially busy with utility work forcing traffic into one lane. 

Our detour took us on a path that varied between grass and a single track to loose sand and gravel. We were on road bikes traveling uphill so I had to dismount a few times and Julia asked why I was walking. I didn't mind hopping off and on the bike a bit as I was in shade with mountain views. We soon reached a dirt path alongside a golf course and my brakes whined on the downhill but I didn't see golfers turn their heads in our direction.

We reached our destination, a general store, just as the creemies became available - 11 a.m. We ordered three maple flavored and one vanilla for four bucks - an affordable treat and a fun family outing.