Being active as a family makes having a healthy lifestyle less about discipline and more about fun times together! Whether your kids are in high school or still in diapers, you can have family fitness fun with a little effort and creativity.
Plan a Park Day
Round everyone up (pets, too) and head to a park! You can play soccer, ride bikes on a trail, swim at the beach, take the dog for a walk or monkey around on the jungle gym. Choose whatever type of park and activity best suits your family’s interests and abilities. Being outside in nature is beneficial for your wellbeing and can be a nice change of pace from your daily routine. Pack water, sunscreen and snacks if you will be outside for a while!
Use an Activity as a Reward
If your kids bring home good report cards, do all of their chores, finish all of their asparagus at dinner or are brave during their booster shot, treat them to a fun activity like an afternoon at the local pool, a rollerblading outing or a trip to the playground. Rather than using a material reward like food or money, reinforce activity as a treat to teach your kids — and yourself — that fitness is fun.
Make Healthy Food Together
Just like making S’mores in the summer is fun, turn eating healthy into an enjoyable activity! You can prep celery peanut butter logs with raisin “ants” or blend up your own healthy milkshakes with frozen fruits and yogurt for a refreshing afternoon snack. Prep pizzas at home for a Friday dinner with some vegetable toppings for good measure, or make whole wheat banana pancakes on a lazy Sunday morning. Whatever recipe or snack you choose, by making healthy eating a fun activity, you’ll all want to do it more.
Learn Something New
One of the best ways to bond while also being active is to learn something new together. Have you tried kayaking? What about stand-up paddleboarding? Rock climbing? Yoga? Find lessons and go as a family to learn how to do a new activity, which is as stimulating for you physically as it is mentally!
Move it Rain or Shine
You can still be active even if you’re stuck in the house because of rain or a heat wave. Follow an exercise video on TV or the internet that you can do with little ones, or find a hula hoop or jump rope and some space to play indoors. You can play charades, balloon volleyball or put on upbeat music and dance around to break a sweat. Whatever you do, know that even when you can’t get out of the house, you can still move it to stay fit together!