If that’s you, don’t throw in the towel yet! With a little thought, even the busiest of families can increase their family fitness IQ by incorporating healthy choices into their everyday routines. If you’re looking to add a little more activity to your family’s life, here’s 25 fun ways how.
1. Opt to walk. Have to go to the corner store to grab milk? Make it a family outing as you walk, skip and hop your way there. Whenever you could walk somewhere, do.
2. Make moving fun. While a weekly spin class isn’t like to keep your 8 year olds interest, a trip to the pool just may. Consider your children’s interests when choosing which physical activities you do together.
3. Hit the park. Open green space calls for physical activity. Play ball, run races or throw around a Frisbee. Bring a variety of sports gear and everyone is likely to find something they’ll want to do.
4. Have a family fitness night. Make fitness a family affair by going bowling or mini-golfing, or by taking a weekly karate or exercise class together.
5. Play a game. Create a family fitness chart to track daily activities (push-ups, sit-ups, squats, etc.) and see who logs the most activities in any given week, or get everyone in the family a pedometer and see who takes the most steps in a day.
6. Park away from the door. Whether it is for school drop off, or for grocery shopping, park as far away from the door as you can and walk with your children to the entrance furthest away.
7. Bank screen time for feet time. For every minute family members log watching TV or playing video games per day, add the same number of activity minutes to their fitness bank. Encourage family members to cash in their activity minutes before having any screen time the next day.
8. Choose active vacations. Visit locations that promote physical activity like skiing, hiking, or swimming. You can even log a few miles walking your way around a favorite amusement park.
9. Opt for the stairs. When you have the choice of using an elevator, escalator or the stairs, make it a habit to always take the stairs.
10. Go for a nightly walk. Start a new family tradition by going for an evening stroll after dinner. In addition to getting your exercise, walking together provides opportunity for conversation.
11. Dance. Belly dance, line dance, square dance. Move to the music, anyway you know how!
12. Hit the trails, literally. Incorporate a scavenger hunt into your next nature walk. Look for wildlife and flowers that are native to the area you are in.
13. Go for a ride. Grab those helmets and bike your way around town. Even younger children can enjoy the outdoors by riding in a bike seat or trailer.
14. Set family fitness goals. Talk about the importance of staying active and set some goals together. Set a number of feet your family pledges to walk in a week, or the number of combined swim laps your family can swim during a single swim session. When you meet your goals, celebrate by doing something fun together.
15. Walk the dog. Even routine chores, like walking the dog, provide opportunities for family physical activity. Gather everyone up and head out together to take Fido for his next walk.
16. Visit the zoo, museum or other local attraction. Everyday outings like going to the zoo provide opportunities to increase your family’s fitness level. As you walk from exhibit to exhibit encourage the kids to walk the way their favorite animal does.
17. Care for the garden. Raking, digging, planting and shoveling all promote physical activity. Allow each child to have a row of fruits or vegetables to care for. Their reward for a job well done will be enjoying the fruits of their labor!
18. Keep a hula hoop handy. Have a contest to see who can hula hoop the longest or set a few hula hoops on the ground outside for family members to jump through. Hula hoops are great tools for creating a family friendly obstacle course in your own backyard.
19. Choose video games that promote activity. Today there are many video games on the market that promote physical fitness. Families can play all types of virtual sports together, from tennis to yoga, and some games give a surprisingly challenging workout.
20. Encourage outdoor play. Just being outside lends itself to being more active. Make a point to allow for outdoor play time each day.
When you choose to create an active lifestyle for your family, as your children grow, being active will become a natural way of life. And while deciding to be a more active family takes making some deliberate choices, those choices will yield you a healthier family and a family that enjoys doing fun activities together.
