Sonia Lynds Sport Bay of Plenty

So I became Mum a few years back and now have the most wonderful three year old. These have been the most amazing and busy years of my life. I now have an everyday challenge of fitting in the things that I want to do, with the things that I need to do. Who would have thought that ‘needs and wants' talk in high school social studies when I was fourteen would still be so relevant!

Making time to be active is a challenge for many parents. It's very easy to only think about the needs of your child, your work and your wider family, but it is vital to get in some activity time for yourself. My mantra is that a happy healthy mum is better than a tired run down one. Getting out each day, even for a quick walk is so important, not only for fitness, but for state of mind and time to reflect.

Last night I was excited to see so many people out and about after work, with the first week of daylight savings giving us some more play time in the evenings. I've challenged myself to get out there with my family as much as I can this year.

On Sunday I joined a lot of other people on the beach while the sun was out. We had gone down there for a walk, the tide was out and walking along in the shallow water was fabulous. I had to forget that temptation that mothers sometimes have to tell my girl to stay dry in her clothes. She ‘accidently' sat in the water over 100 times. The giggles and smiles that went along with each accident were priceless. I also got my walk in so it was a win-win situation.

Some ideas for you to get active with a toddler:

- Take a ball to the beach, lake or park and have turns at running and kicking it along.

- Go for a bike ride together.

- Visit someone with a farm. It's amazing how far you can walk when there are animal distractions up ahead.

- Have some interesting activities up your sleeve if you're planning a longer walk and stop and do one of the activities along the way. The activities could be a story, a favourite music tune or a fun game. Making the next stop fun will be a great incentive to get there quicker.

- Walk with others and make it a time to catch up with friends or family. It's a great way to motivate each other - and to share the load if you have to carry tired children.

Enjoy daylight saving and stay active!