I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for GB. I received a GB stroller to facilitate my review as well as thank me for my participation.
You guys, motherhood has turned me into a big softie. I’ve written many times about how much I miss my active lifestyle and how important fitness is to me, and now that warm weather is on the horizon it’s time for me to shake of the dust and get moving! During the warmer months I take the kids on weekly trips to the walking trail at the park behind our house once a week to get out a little energy and get our heart rate up. I’ve always been big on baby wearing, but now that my littles aren’t so little anymore it has gotten to be a bit of a struggle. I don’t know about you, but I’m not really a fan of lugging around a thirty pounder on my back as I run after a four year old for an hour. Luckily my new GB Evoq 4-in-1 travel system combines function, durability and lightweight performance all into one to make our weekly outings a walk in the park!
So before we get into the workout ideas I just have to gush about this stroller for a minute. It is a Babies R’ Us exclusive and I couldn’t be happier with it! I am used to my old heavy, bulky mammoth that took up SO much space, and even though it was easy to push I felt like it was a task every time I took it out. I had trouble fitting it through tight store sections, and outdoors? Forget that! So anyway, this new GB Evoq stroller has everything I want and more – it’s super lightweight, versatile and really easy to set up. See this frame? It folds up in less than a second and I can attach the toddler seat or car seat to it in either direction I’d like.
Besides that, it has generous storage so I can stow whatever I need in it (blankets, water bottles, extra shoes, diapers, etc.) and I can easily access it from the front or back. I’m a big fan of the lightweight frame – it’s very minimal which is something I LOVE in baby gear because it is stylish and keeps it from being bulky or difficult to steer.
As far as the seat itself goes I love the colors and look of it. Kaia finds it cushy too! This particular stroller also comes with the Asana 35 infant car seat as well, but since my kids are older I won’t be using it. I will say that it is super cushy and has one of the easiest installation methods that I’ve seen!
And then of course there’s the big kid glide on board for Judah. This is pretty cool because it lets him run beside me but take a break and ride when he gets tired. Genius? I think so!
And now that all that is out of the way, let’s talk about getting that heart rate up! When I go out with the kids I obviously can’t do a full on workout, but by making some modifications to our normal walk I can certainly make it much more beneficial than it would have been. That’s not to say walking isn’t a good thing – ANY kind of physical activity is going to be good for you, but I want to work up a sweat here so I’ve come up with a few methods that will help me achieve that. *Please keep in mind that this is just my personal routine. It may or may not work for you, and always make sure you are stretching properly before any kind of workout.*
The lunge walk.
First, pardon my awkward stance. It looks silly but it works! For this I basically do just what the picture shows you but I alternate my feet. It doesn’t have to be fast, a normal walking pace is fine and it can be done either in place or actually walking. I like doing it in place and giving Kaia high-fives at the same time! Do this for ten minutes and I promise it will wear you out.
The jog.
I’m not a fan of running at all. I actually can’t stand it. But leisurely jogging? That’s something that I can handle! For this I just jog and let the kids ride for around ten minutes. Easy peasy? Yep! So after about thirty minutes of lunging and jogging I feel that I’ve made some progress and I can feel refreshed and confident that I’m staying active.
Want to check out the GB Evoq for yourself? Head over to Babies R’ Us today!
