Keeping your family and yourself healthy can seem challenging at times. It may be tempting to grab fast food on your way to the kids’ games or slack off on going to the gym, but you know that isn’t helping anyone. When you feel like giving up, consider a shift in perspective. Everyone in your family needs to be physically active to stay healthy, right? So why not spend time being active together? Look at fitness is a family affair rather than an individual pursuit and you’ll begin to realize just how easy getting that workout in can be.
Benefits of Family Fitness
Staying physically active is essential for everyone’s health. When adults exercise with their children, they’re serving as a role model and setting their children up for a lifetime of fitness. Doing activities together as a family can provide you with the extra motivation to keep going when you feel tired. There’s accountability when you tell your family you’re going to do something together. Chances are they’re not going to just forget about it. Not only that, the time spent together doing an activity is quality family time. It’s time to get creative and workout smarter, not harder.
Family Fitness Activities
Family Dance Party – it’s time to push the furniture aside and turn the music up! Create a family favorites playlist of dance music and boogie the night away. This is particularly fun with younger children as they always have the best dance moves.
Before/After Dinner Walks – including a daily walk into your family’s schedule ensures that you won’t put it off. If you have a dog, it can be an opportunity for Fido to get some exercise as well. A walk around the neighborhood or the local park is a great family-friendly activity. Keep it exciting and make a scavenger hunt out of it. Hold a competition to see whose the first person to find five pinecones or point out a particular type of tree.
Chores
Making a game out of chores can be an easy way to incorporate physical activity around the house. Time yourselves while vacuuming and straightening up a room putting all the toys and books away, see if you can beat the family record next time. Chores are the perfect time to exercise your imagination. Pretend you’re fighting off space-invader dust bunnies with the vacuum. Or maybe you’re on a rescue mission to save the stuffed animals from the volcanic lava that is slowly spreading its way through the bedroom.
Yard Work
It’s called work for a reason. You can work up a real sweat while doing yard work. Mowing, raking leaves, planting a garden, watering the vegetable garden, and clearing the driveway of snow are all ways to keep the family active. Plus, when you rake leaves, you can always have the fun of jumping in them when you finish getting them into a big pile.
Family Sports Night
A family game of kickball, soccer, volleyball, or maybe shooting some hoops together is not only fun, but a great way to keep everyone active. Try rotating sports so that everyone gets to do something they enjoy. You can even invite friends and neighbors to play if you want.
If you use your imagination and get a little creative, there are numerous opportunities to get active with the entire family. Family fitness activities are great for all members of the family and will give you quality bonding time together. Just remember to make it fun and keep moving!
