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HOW A BIKE TRAILER HELPED THIS BUSY MOM LOSE WEIGHT & HAVE FUN DOING IT!

Jenelle Hilsen

As a busy mom, life is packed full of endless tasks and responsibilities, leaving little time for self-care or fitness. My simple choice to start biking instead of driving, just a few days a week, helped me on my weight loss journey to loss over 70lbs and almost 4 years later, it's still one of my favorite things to do because it's so much darn fun!




Embracing the Bike Trailer

We had spent a few months biking around town, but one morning after I finally got through the chaos of loading my little guys in the car(only to drive for a short 10 minute trip all the way around town hitting all 4 of the 5 stop signs in town lol), that's when it hit me! Why not just bike to them Pre-K?! Not only would it be as fast, but I wouldn't have to start the car for just a 10 minute trip; environmentally friendly commute, check! As important to someone who was on a weight loss journey, was the fact that this would be many guaranteed time slots for me to prioritize my health and fitness by getting in some fresh air and much needed cardio...another check! Little did I know, it would soon become something I really looked forward to-enjoyable and efficient! Plus every mother's dream, it was kid approved! They had enjoyed biking in the trailer, so I knew biking to school would be an easy sell. I would come to find out, they would even keep me encouraged on days where it maybe looked a little 'too windy' or 'too cold', or whatever other excuse I would concoct.


Now that my boys are older and are starting to bike on their own, I credit their time in the bike trailer for their own love of biking. I can't express how happy it makes me to hear "can we go for a bike ride?". Almost 1 in 7 children and youth is obese in Canada* so for them to choose to give up their screen time for biking instead, makes me a proud mama. I'm so excited for our biking adventures to grow right along with them and can't wait to see what's in store for us. Some bonus feel good stuff, regular family exercise can enhance physical fitness and strengthen family bonds!* I can honestly say, it's been an extremely positive thing in our lives. I'm a happier, healthier, more energetic mom from getting in some exercise and have happier, healthier, kiddos who enjoy the outdoors and like being with me lol...winning!



The Weight Loss

As I discovered, biking would actually help transform my perspective on cardio and thus change my life forever. Sounds dramatic, I know, but anyone who knows me, knows that my previous cardio included walking to the kitchen to make and eat pasta with cheese sauce. When I went through the odd guilty period where I thought I should loose some weight, it would entail a set time on an elliptical or treadmill, which can only be described as complete and utter hell. Torture and punishment for the gross amount of calories I was eating. I finally got tired of what I was doing and figured there had to be a better way, and if I couldn't find it, I would make it up myself! I got serious on my weight loss journey, knowing it wasn't just about calories burnt but that I had to really become more mindful of the calories I consumed, the quality and the quantity, and set up a whole system for myself that fit into my crazy mom life! This included macro managing and weight training. If you are in the same boat and need some help, check out my programs after this and I can help set you up with your own plan! Anyway, I still needed family friendly cardio that I didn't hate...Enter the bike! After only 6 months of sticking to my plan, I had lost over 50lbs and got my resting heart rate down over 20bpm!





The wonderful thing about biking, is that it really is great for everyone, including me who at the time, needed a gentle start to exercise because let's face it, I probably had 80% cheese sauce in my arteries at that point! Whether doing a casual bike ride with the boy's grandma tagging along or the hubby and I getting out taking turns pulling the boys around town trying to keep pace, we were doing the most important thing; getting up and moving! And let me tell you, adding in that bike trailer with 1 or 2 kids, there's significant resistance, meaning every pedal stroke turns into a chance to build muscle while getting that heart pumping! It was hard for me at first. I started out with short rides to our local playground but in no time, I was biking longer distances, starting to explore our town and not too far long after, started tackling the "big hill" in town, on what would become our regular 7.4 mile "loop" for the next few years.



The Stats

Our Burley D’lite X bike trailer is just over 30lbs. When we started biking, my little guy was 25lb and the older one was 40lb so it can really add up, burn calories and most importantly, gives your heart that much needed workout and those lungs some amazing fresh air. Fast forward to today, my almost 6 year old, is too tall and together they're almost at the max weight of 100lbs for the trailer, so I'm using it 3 days per week on a round trip to pick my little 42lb guy up from pre-k. Although not perfectly accurate, my Garmin and Polar chest strap combo, yield the following data:


-3.35 mile round trip

-25-30 minutes

-279 calories - 330 calories


There's going to be different factors such as the intensity, the person's weight, the terrain and season, but it gives you an idea. In wind or on winter road conditions, it is substantially harder for me to pull the trailer and of course these stats will increase accordingly, but if you've read any of the studies on cycling, it can burn anywhere from 240-693 calories per 30 minutes*, so it really is a wonderful, low impact, high results type of exercise.



Fun Easy Cardio for Moms & Family

The nice thing about biking with a bike trailer, is that is seamlessly fits into mom life, and all us moms know, simple is key. I just load the kids into the trailer and hop on my bike for a little adventure. This aligns perfectly with my priorities—exercise, quality time with my children, and exploring the outdoors, off our screens!


With each "loop", I either stopped at a park and let the boys play or stopped downtown and let the boys get an ice cream and run around at the train display in town—a delightful reward for them on the last leg of our ride. Biking became more than just exercise; it's a simple opportunity to create lasting memories and fun little adventures with my family.


Mama Tip: Encourage Participation!

Involve your children in planning biking routes, and even turn your rides into scavenger hunts. My boys loved this and with halloween coming up, it's a perfect time to get out and search for spooky characters!



Get Started

The simple act of buying a bike trailer has not only helped me lose weight and get fitter, but it has helped reshape my relationship with cardio and thus changed my whole lifestyle. I feel healthier, happier and know my kids are better off for it too.


Now I understand not everyone owns a bike trailer...and I am usually not one to say buy this or buy that, there's too much of that if you ask me...but if you're a busy mom too, and are at all interested in biking, I would 100% recommend purchasing a bike trailer. There are many options to fit every budget and the return on investment is amazing. When we looked at what we spent vs the time and value we've received, 4 years later & still going strong, it's a no brainer!


With that said, if it's just not for you, your lifestyle or your kiddos, I totally understand. In that case, let me leave you with some insights I've gained over my weight loss and fitness journey. The key is to just get started! Find something that does work for you and your family, and just get moving! Try things and you might be surprised at what turns out to be enjoyable. Some skipping on the back deck while the kiddos play in the yard? Totally mom friendly! A scheduled family walk after supper? Great on so may levels! Bottom line, put aside excuses and hold yourself accountable. You'll be a healthier mamma and your family will be better off for too :)


Do I have you considering a bike trailer? Let me know what you think or share your biking experiences in the comments!



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