5 Fun Exercise Ideas for the Whole Family
From packing lunches to driving your kids to and from school, finding time to get your entire family together to exercise can be rather tricky. It’s been shown that inactivity during youth can lead to a sedentary lifestyle and obesity during adulthood, which is why it’s crucial you instill an active lifestyle in your children. However, with smartphones, TVs, and games, pulling your little ones away from their screens can be a challenge.
Finding time to squeeze in the recommended 1+ hour of daily activity isn’t impossible, though. Below, we’ll go over five fun exercise ideas the whole family can partake in.
1. Walking
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and if your goal is to get your family active, the first step is to start with walking. Walking is an excellent way to start your journey to creating a fit family. After all, the only equipment you need is the clothes on your back! When your children come home from school, and you and your spouse are home from work, try to start walking in the neighborhood. Walking is a great way to bond as a family and become familiar with the other families and people living around you.
As you make walking a regular exercise routine, you can up the ante by investing in walking weights. With walking weights and ankle weights, you’ll be able to tone your arms, legs, and increase your cardio, all-in-one!
2. Running
Ready to take walking to the next level? If so, it’s time to hit the ground running. Running is another great exercise idea for the whole family because all you need is some breathable athletic clothes and a pair of comfy running shoes. When it comes to running, shoes are the most important part because you don’t want anyone succumbing to an injury, such as shin splints or an IT band issue.
Before you go for a family run, head over to your local running store to see if anyone needs arch support running shoes, minimalist running shoes, or stability shoes. Once you’re equipped and ready to go, start with a jog around the neighborhood. Or, head to your local park and log in a few miles. To get even more motivated to run as a family, sign everyone up for a local 5k, and begin training. There are plenty of races and fun runs going on in most areas throughout the year, so finding a fun road race shouldn’t be a challenge.
3. Hiking
Are you looking for an exercise idea that incorporates both cardio and scenic views? If so, hiking is the answer. Wherever you live, you can find trails and mountains to explore with your family. The best part about hiking is that most of the time you won’t even realize you’re getting a workout in, thanks to the views and scenery along the way! Hiking also serves as a great learning experience for children, as it allows them to identify local animals and plants and learn more about nature.
While finding time to hike during the week may be hard, especially if you’re away at work and the kids are at school, weekends are a great way to hit the trails and spend time bonding with your family.
4. Swimming
Another cardio-centric exercise idea for the whole family to try is swimming. If you have your own pool at home, swimming is an easy way to get in shape or improve your family’s weight loss journey. Swimming is also a great exercise to stay happy and healthy in old age, so having the grandparents stop by for a dip will keep them in shape as well.
If you don’t have access to a pool at home, check with your city or local parks, and sign up for a family membership. Once signed up, pack your tote with some swim towels and goggles and make a splash!
5. Basketball
If you want to stray away from strictly cardio exercises, invest in a basketball hoop and place it at the end of your driveway. Every night before dinner, get a family pick-up basketball game going. This is a great way to teach your children about the importance of teamwork and will also improve their motor skills. Who knows, maybe starting them young will turn them into the next King James!
Key Takeaways
Getting your family up and off the couch doesn’t have to be as difficult as it may seem. Coming up with family fun events, such as a family run or group basketball game, is an excellent way to get the blood pumping and legs moving.
From packing lunches to driving your kids to and from school, finding time to get your entire family together to exercise can be rather tricky. It’s been shown that inactivity during youth can lead to a sedentary lifestyle and obesity during adulthood, which is why it’s crucial you instill an active lifestyle in your children. However, with smartphones, TVs, and games, pulling your little ones away from their screens can be a challenge.
Finding time to squeeze in the recommended 1+ hour of daily activity isn’t impossible, though. Below, we’ll go over five fun exercise ideas the whole family can partake in.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
