Finding the time to exercise when raising a family can be a very difficult prospect. Between juggling jobs, schooling, housework and day to day life, it’s hard to find a spare second to go for a jog or play a few sets of tennis. Family health is an important issue that is now a bit of a buzz topic in America, thanks to diabetes and obesity being on the rise. There is really only one way to combat these modern epidemics and that’s to get active. And what better way is there to keep the whole family fit than to exercise together? Here are a few ideas that might help establish a fun fitness routine for you and the family.
Be creative with your workouts. Exercising doesn’t have to be a chore. It can also be fun. If you’re sick of jogging around the block endlessly, why not get a little creative with your activities? Dancing is a fantastic way to get the whole body moving without feeling as though you’ve exercised. Get the whole family dancing in the living room to your favorite songs or involve the kids in a game of tag in the back yard. If you can keep the exercise routine fun and revolve it around day to day activities, you’ll be less inclined to dread it. If you have a baby or a toddler, there are a number of great aerobics exercises that you can do with them in your arms. Using the weight of the little ones to work out is a great way to involve the whole family. Making a game out of household chores can be a good way to keep active and be productive at the same time. Gardening is a good way to keep active too, so be sure to get the kids involved in gardening activities.
Screen time. Cutting down on screen time and replacing it with physical activity is obviously a great way to stay healthy and fit, but there are ways to incorporate your screen time into your activity too. If you and your kids enjoy video games, then why not get a Wii and exercise while you play. There are a variety of different exercise games on the market that cater to all kinds of different things, and they’re fun for the whole family. If you have a favorite family TV show, then use the ad breaks for exercise time. Every time the ad breaks come on, get the whole family doing jumping jacks or push-ups for the duration of the commercials.
Go to the gym as a family. Most gyms these days cater to the whole family, even if you have a baby. Fitness 19 is a great example of this, as they provide childcare and a kid’s room while you work out in the same building. It’s also a great way for your kids to see how you exercise – which leads to them wanting to get involved too. The more your family is around this kind of environment, the more they will want to get active and keep fit.
Tiffany is a Medical Student and also works as a fitness coach in part-time. She is also a writer and writes on health and fitness articles. Tiffany loves to engage with users and help them provide various useful information on General Health. She provides researched-based information and also featured on various blogs and magazines.