MOTIVATION. That's what you'll need for keeping those 2011 resolutions.

And if fitness is your goal, get the kids to motivate you.

Here's how a group of Bendigo mums have done it. Following school drop-off at 9am three mornings a week, about six young mums arrive at their local oval, with their pre-school aged juniors in tow.

They unpack their cars, including boxing gloves, bouncing balls and exercise cones, plus the requisite crayons and a few drawing pads, strip to their exercise clobber, which, thankfully, is far from glam-mum gear, and take to the oval.

They do sprints, run between cones, opting for cardio work some days, or exercises to build their core strength on others. They each take a turn setting the informal program for the day.

Sometimes their kids, who are too young for school, take to the oval too. Sometimes they play by themselves and sometimes they join their mums, donning mini-boxing gloves for playful bouts, or playing tag and running free in the clear open space. Satisfaction runs high. The mums get fit, chat freely on all manner of topics without fear of being overheard and offer each other reassurances around their parenting.

The kids have fun together and also socialise and expend lots of energy. There's no cost, no membership fee, no obligation to be there and no overbearing, perfect-looking gym junkies for those depressing body comparisons.

The key to its success is that the kids love "oval gym" (as they call it) so much that they beg their parents to go.

"If you don't want to go, the kids will, so that's lots of motivation," says mum-of-three Lyndall Blandthorn.

Lyndall, 31, struggled to dump 10kg accumulated during child bearing, so joined a weight loss program at the gym for three months.

"After that, I needed a bit more motivation and the girls have been asking me for ages to go down to their sessions at the oval."

She says her three-year-old son Cahal loves to go and that keeps her motivated.

Cyclist Roz Bradley finds it invaluable time with her son Gus, 3, who is often cared for by his dad while she's working.

In her precious non-working hours she gets to do something she loves, while also being with Gus.

The mums are doing more than just keeping themselves fit.

They may well be setting in train healthy patterns that their children more than likely will carry into their adult lives, according to developmental psychology expert Dr Helen Skouteris.

"If you, as a parent, model healthy behaviour, it's more than likely that your children will also exhibit those healthy behaviours as adults," says Dr Skouteris of Deakin University's School of Psychology.

"If you are sedentary and your children see that, it's more than likely your children are going to model that."

Mum-of-three Melissa Thomas, 31, takes her youngest child Chloe, 4, to oval gym. A fit, lifelong distance runner, she prefers the oval workout because her daughter can actually see her exercise and join in if she wants.

"Parents who exercise often leave their kids at home - their dads might go out for a run or their mums might go to the gym so the kids don't actually see them exercise," she says.

There are lots of ovals around country areas and lots of mums on tight budgets with kids who need airing and exercise.

Just a thought.

Happy New Year.