Raising a fit family is rarely something that just happens. It’s usually a deliberate and ongoing effort by everyone in the home. When the other option is raising an unhealthy, inactive or overweight family, I’m pretty sure you’ll agree that raising a fit family sounds pretty good. Fortunately, it’s a lot more fun than it is hard, and it’s also one of the nicest things you can do for each other. Not only will you all be more likely to enjoy longer lives because of this choice, but pursuing an active lifestyle as a family is a genius way to make lasting memories. Where thoughts of a tasty sandwich Dad once concocted will soon evaporate, memories of the time you all took surfing lessons together will never fade.
Keeping things simple, I’d like to offer up some suggestions on ways to get active as a family:
Plan active vacations. Hiking, whitewater rafting, splashing at the beach, snowboarding, rock climbing and even hitting water parks are ideal ways to ensure your vacation is full of adventure, laughs and physical activity. My husband, two children and I like to run Disney 5K races as a family. I highly recommend you give that magical experience a try!
Sign the kids up for sports, and coach them! I love watching my kids play soccer, but I also love running around the field with them as their coach. Am I getting more enjoyment out of it than the parents sitting on the sidelines? You bet! You can also sign up with your kids to take Karate, dance or yoga classes together.
Find fun entertainment activities to do together. Hit the skating rink, bowling alley or bounce house business for some Sunday afternoon active-tainment. (My new word. I just made it up.) Bowling a strike or hurling yourselves on to the Velcro wall at Bouncin’ Big is fun for everyone. Trust me.
Hit the gym with teenagers, if you’ve got them. It’s a great precedent to set for the long haul.
Make your home a comfy place to play together. Pull the plastic cover off the couch and relax. A bit of wrestling on the living room floor isn’t going to destroy everything. Have a paper ball “snowball” fight inside, play tag or get funky playing Just Dance on your game console.
Get outside when you can. After-dinner walks, tossing the football in the front yard and swimming in the neighborhood pool are all free and fun options, which far surpass the television on my list of good things. Bicycling, playing hopscotch, chasing bubbles and tennis are great choices too.
If you’re always looking for ways to become and stay active as a family unit, then you’ll stay on the right track. Notice, I never mentioned doing pull-ups or burpees together, although that would be nice. Just move together on a regular basis and make it fun. Most importantly, when parents model great behavior, their children are more likely to follow suit.
Fitz Koehler, M.S.E.S.S, is a fitness expert who’s taught around the globe for over two decades. She’s president of Fitzness International, which specializes in fitness education via mass media. She’s taught to millions via TV, radio, books, magazines and corporate speaking in over a dozen countries. Locally, she’s the fitness expert for ABC’s WCJB Tv20 News. Visit Fitz at Fitzness.com and MorningMile.com