Living Vibrantly

Not so many years ago, we relied on our legs and our strong bodies for getting around. We’d ride scooters, bikes and mostly walked on the soles of our trusty feet to get us from home to preschool to the pediatrician, to soccer practice and anywhere else we had to go or places to be. Life in Manhattan was a lesson in patience and strength, both physically and mentally. I didn’t worry about me or the kids ever getting enough exercise, because I knew that we were always moving even in between activities and appointments.

Suburbia is a little bit different, and our lives with the kids getting older adds to some of those changes. We drive mostly everywhere now, except for school during the week. Where once it was an inconvenience to take a cab from home to our destination, the kids are now somewhat confused whenever we walk somewhere other than school. It’s that suburban mentality, when everything is a drive away it makes walking seem like an inconvenience. We are an active family though, and whether the kids know it or not they’re pretty much always getting exercise, even when they’re playing. That’s really some the beauty and magic of childhood, but even as an adult I’ve learned to incorporate play into my exercise routine because it passes the time and doesn’t feel like exercise. Justin takes the boys (Theo included) to the basketball courts and they shoot around for hours, and Zoe has a newfound adoration for running and even shooting hoops both at school and at home, a far cry from playing make believe at recess last year.

Jack is always playing sports. At recess during school, at home with our hoop and the neighbor kids, on the weekends with friends. He has a passion for playing basketball and baseball that I can’t say I’ve ever really seen. Beau and Justin are very much the same way; If they aren’t playing at home, they’re being active in between. All of my children-and even Justin and I-need shoes that can easily transfer from one activity to the next and in between. We took our new Reeboks to the Boardwalk over the weekend and spent hours in them, running around playing at the amusement park and then at home, as usual, with the basketball hoop. Jack and I, both of us who have the same long, skinny, flat feet, found success and comfort in the Reebok ZPump Fusion. They easily slip on, which is great for both of us since we are almost always in a hurry, and the Pump Air Cage works in a really fun . The Ortholite sockliner in Jack’s pair provides antimicrobial benefits, washability and comfort-which is pretty critical for a very active eight year old that goes through shoes faster than I can begin to process.

Justin, Beau and Evvie wore their shoes all weekend. Beau is so active, and with Evvie just starting to find her pace, she wants to be outside and moving as fast as possible at all times. Their Reeboks are so lightweight and flexible it almost feels like they aren’t wearing shoes at all-which, when you’re a toddler and just starting to wear shoes, that’s an imperative trait. I feel really good about their lives being full of play while being active at the same time. It helps their bodies and minds in all of the best ways to be constantly moving, and even though our lives are so much different than they were in New York, we have made it a priority to keep exercise a critical part of our days, no matter what we are doing. It helps incredibly to have the right equipment that supports that lifestyle in the best way possible.

In honor of this holiday weekend and the ones just around the corner, I’m happy to offer 20% off of your order with code MGC20. Valid through 11/28.