Thinking about fitness goals for you and your family can feel intimidating. We often feel like we have to sacrifice our physical fitness for the many other daily tasks that require our attention. Our schedules are busy! When kids start participating in clubs, sports, and tutoring, their schedules get busy too. If you make fitness a family affair, fitness and family time can coexist and it can be fun!
Here are 3 tips for making fitness a family activity:
- Set a Family Fitness Goal or Challenge: Have you ever participated in an office fitness challenge or competition? What if you took that same concept and applied it to your family? Set a realistic goal and choose activities you enjoy to help make the challenge more fun for the whole family. Your kids’ sports can count towards their goals. Your walks throughout the day can count towards your goal. Be creative and create a custom challenge that works for your family. Participating in a challenge can promote teamwork, and provide motivation, and setting a goal and achieving it can build confidence for you and your family.
- Walk/Hike: A walk is a great way to get the family moving! We walk all the time! Walks can also be a great way to connect with your family. Make it a walk-and-talk. Make it a game, play ISpy, a scavenger hunt, or an outdoor bingo card. I-Spy is a family favorite on our outdoor walks. Looking for indoor walk options? We love visiting the aquarium and that is a fun and easy way to log 30-90 minutes of walking. If you have a more adventurous family try a hike. I developed a love for hiking when I was a kid. My dad would do runs, but my mom and I would walk and complete the shorter distance treks (1 milers and 5ks) on the trails. Georgia has so many great family-friendly hiking trails and we have highlighted a few great family-friendly hikes and have tips for hiking with kids.
- Make it Fun: Above all, make it fun! When fitness is fun everyone is more likely to want to participate and to want to keep participating. Does your kiddo love to run, bike, or play a sport? You don’t have to be great at the same thing as them to make it fun for them. Have them run sprints and time them or add obstacles. Be the goalie while they practice soccer. Challenge them to bike and see how many laps they can complete before you finish your walking route. Make it a game. Or, actually play a game! Nintendo Switch has sports and Olympic games that can get you and your family moving.
These are just 3 ways you could get your family moving more. Have you tried any of these methods to help your family stay fit? My favorite way to get active is to dance, specifically Just Dance. I will invite the kiddo and my husband to dance with me. It’s a fun way for us to all get some activity in together and for us to show off our moves! 30 minutes easily turns into 60 when we are having fun.
Comment below and let me know your favorite fitness activity to do with your family!
Here are some additional resources to help make fitness a family affair:
