Like my momma always said, “lead by example!” You need to keep yourself fit if you want your kids to keep fit. If you or your spouse is obese, there is a good chance your kids will be obese, say experts at the Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. You all will stay fit if you turn family time to fitness time. How can you do that? With the seven fun, motivating ways explained in this article, you can incorporate exercise into a family activity with ease.
1. Choose the right time for each activity
Choose the right time for your family to exercise. Most families sit together for dinner, and after-dinner time is the right time for a walk, workout, or game of badminton. Aside from this, for kids, after school is an absolutely right time for such activities.
2. Make it interesting
You need to keep in mind that play is also a form of exercise. Play a different game on each day of week. You can walk, ride a bicycle, stack woods or go to the gym, for instance. These are the activities you can do with your family.
3. Keep track of it
Keep an eye on your progress each time you perform an activity. This is a great way to motivate you and your family. For instance, if your kid takes part in a competition, just keep track of their performance and encourage them each time they win the competition.
4. Make it simpler for everyone
If your kid finds it hard to stick to an exercise, just let them know that the exercise won’t take more than 5 minutes. For instance, jogging or riding a bike doesn’t take more than 5 minutes, which is easy for everyone.
5. Get out more
Get out more with your family. If you workout indoor, do some session outdoor each week. To feel better, play a game in the backyard or take a walk around the block. Sunshine and fresh air will boost your mood as well.
6. Get a schedule ready
A structured schedule works for virtually everyone. Whatever activity you do with your family, write it down on the calendar, and encourage everyone to stick to the schedule. What if you cannot follow the schedule on a certain day due to bad weather or other issues? In this case, if you cannot do an activity, like bike ride, outdoors, you can swap it with an indoor game like tennis.
7. Sign a contract
Create a contract and have each member of your family sign it. For instance, if you have set a weight loss goal, make sure you write down a viable, reasonable frame of time for it (6 pounds per month sounds reasonable). Once the contract is signed by everyone, choose a place to hang it so everyone could see it.
In short, the 7 ways we talked about above could help you and all other members of your family keep fit. Keep in mind that doing something on your own is harder than doing it with a friend or family member. That is why check out the tips packed in this article and keep your family healthy!
Author Bio: Hank McKinsey is a SAHD and lifestyle how-to blogger from Clovis, CA. When he’s not working on the home or blogging, he can be found at the park with his dogs or in the kitchen. See what Hank is up to on Twitter!
