With many families stuck at home juggling working remotely, online learning and trying to keep everyone happy and healthy, it can be easy to let an otherwise active lifestyle fall by the wayside.
Regardless of age, being physically active provides numerous health benefits. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity for adults each week, and 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for kids between the ages of 6-17 each day. Finding ways to move daily can help everyone in the family maintain their health — and prevent them from going stir crazy.
Although prioritizing activity in a quarantined environment might be one of the last things on your mind, parents who model healthy behaviors can inspire their kids to do the same.
Consider these tips to keep the whole family motivated and moving — you might be surprised to find that exercise can be fun.
Go for a walk or bike ride. Incorporating walks or bike rides into your family’s daily routine can help get everyone moving, as well as create quality bonding time. If your family is more on the adventurous side, consider venturing outside your neighborhood to find new trails or rougher terrain to explore nature while getting active.
Take a virtual class. Many fitness instructors and gyms are sharing free classes online designed for the whole family. Simply connect a streaming device to your television and search for virtual classes that are geared toward getting families moving, regardless of fitness level. Fitness instructors and studios also are sharing a variety of workouts — from family yoga to dance cardio in various time increments — on social media that you can find by searching various fitness-related hashtags.
Play a family game. Playing games together is an old-fashioned way to get the whole family moving and having fun. An activity as simple as tag or racing around the house, or even a game that requires some equipment such as soccer or basketball, can get everyone’s heart rate up. You even can create a fitness deck or activity dice to turn working out into a fun game.
Build your own obstacle course. Set out hoops, pillows, rope, ladders, cardboard boxes and other items you find around the house to create a fun and challenging obstacle course either indoors or out. This can be easily adapted to varying levels of difficulty to meet each family member’s level. Don’t forget a stopwatch to see who can complete the course the quickest.
— Courtesy of Family Features
