10 Ways to Make Fitness Fun for the Whole Family

When people start trying to incorporate a fitness routine into their daily lives, they might be surprised at just how difficult it really is. Some people prefer to exercise in the morning before work; however, the temptation to tap the snooze button on the alarm can be great. For those who prefer to exercise after work or school, they may find that they are too tired and that their couch is quite tempting. For those looking to exercise, it might be helpful to exercise with others in order to keep that motivation intact. This is where exercising as a family can do the trick. How can people make this a reality?

1. Make it a Part of the Daily Schedule

The best way to ensure that something won’t get neglected is to make sure that it is a part of the daily schedule. For example, some people may find it helpful to go on a walk either before or after dinner. This will help keep the blood flowing right around a meal time and ensure that it doesn’t get put on the back-burner. It might be helpful to make the walk into a competition to keep it interesting, such as figuring out who can find the car with a unique license plate.

2. Get Music Involved

It might be helpful to try and incorporate music because just about everyone likes music. This is also an exercise that can be tried even if the skies open up and it starts pouring outside. For example, the family might want to play a dance game on the TV or simply have a dance contest involving music from the stereo. This will help people get moving while they have some fun at the same time. Why not truly spice it up and add some disco lights to the mix?

3. Chores can be Exercise

Chores can be exercise as well particularly if they involve people running up and down the stairs. Why not pretend like there is a race going on to see who finishes first? Best of all, make sure that everyone has something to do outside so that they get that vitamin D from the sun as well. This also ensures that people break a sweat, particularly during the summer, and will receive the exercise benefit from this as well. This will truly get everyone working hard.

4. Incorporate Workouts into Commuting

For parents who are having trouble getting the kids involved, there are a few tips and tricks that parents can employ. For example, instead of pulling the red wagon everywhere, make the kids walk part of the way. If they run errands with their parents, try parking the car at the end of the parking lot and walking inside instead. This could be a sneaky way to incorporate some extra physical activity into the day.

5. Commercials are Workouts

Nobody enjoys watching commercials, particularly not children. Therefore, why not use exercise to change up the commercials breaks? Put the TV on mute and rotate the workouts between the commercials. Try using sit-ups, push-ups, or jumping jacks during the commercials. Make it a contest and see who can do the most during a single break. For the younger kids, have them clap along or march in place during the breaks. Everyone can participate in this activity.

6. Join a Local Sports League

It can be helpful for the whole family to join a sports league. While they might have age restrictions, the kids can play their rec sports during the summer and the parents can find an adult league as well. There are local leagues for everything from basketball to tennis, softball, and sports in between! This can become a part of the weekly routine and everyone can support each other at the games on a weekly basis.

7. Join a Run for Charity

There are numerous road races that happen on a regular basis that raise money for charity. They are for everything from feeding to homeless to fighting cancer and childhood hunger. Find a cause that everyone can get behind and sign up to run the race together. For the competitive family, it can even be a race to the finish to see who wins. There are many ways to make this fun while benefiting a great cause at the same time.

8. Kids can do Age-Specific Chores

There are chores outside that kids can do at all ages. The benefit of working outside is that the kids will receive a workout at the same time. Even a toddler knows how to pull weeds and as they get older, kids can start to spread pine needles as well. Kids don’t need to be that old to push a lawnmower and as they get older, they can learn to use a weed whacker or a riding mower as well. Kids can rotate the chores as well to ensure that they don’t get bored.

9. Grow some Produce in the Back

In addition to the outdoor chores, gardening is a great way to get the whole family involved. The family can talk about what they want to grow and it can be everyone’s responsibility to take care of the plants. Because it is outdoors, people will get a workout at the same time. Some might be surprised at just how strenuous walking is.

10. Simply Walk the Dog

Many families have already discovered just how much of a workout this can be. Dogs pull and want to run with everything, making this much more than just a family walk. Parents can rotate who holds the leash to ensure that everyone gets some sort of a workout in during the walk. Find a few hills, stop to chat with neighbors, and enjoy the warm summer weather. For families that have multiple dogs, there no reason why they can’t be walked at the same time! Families with dogs shouldn’t have much trouble making this one happen.

*Disclaimer: This article pro­vides gen­eral infor­ma­tion about med­i­cine, health, and related sub­jects. The words and other con­tent pro­vided in this article, and in any linked mate­ri­als, are not intended and should not be con­strued as med­ical advice. If the reader or any other per­son has a med­ical con­cern, he or she should con­sult with an appropriately-licensed physi­cian or other health care worker.