FITNESS AS A FAMILY
With the increase in obesity and the related problems, it makes sense to encourage your family to stay fit and active. The problem is making health and fitness enjoyable, so that your kids actually want to play and take part. With this in mind, there are some great exercises that can be done as a family. This helps you all to bond, enjoy time together and get fit at the same time. Plus, it builds a habit that will last a lifetime.
Fit-Deck Shuffle
This is a great game to play as a family and it can be played at home, in the garden or on a beach. You should create (or buy) a deck of playing cards with images of fun exercises printed on them (bear crawl, star jumps, and ape walking). The cards are stacked on the floor and each member of the family picks one at a time. You can also deal them out. Each person then does the exercise they see on the card. It is funny and a great way to exercise. You can also buy a deck of cards, if your kids don’t want to create them.
Animal Imitation
This is a great game to play and it can be turned in to a race. For example, you can choose to be a crocodile, monkey, kangaroo or other animal, and then imitate that animal. You can race between trees or create your own small race track in your garden. Kids love this game as they find it very funny and challenging at the same time.
Simple family sports day
Choosing one day of the week as a sports day is another great idea. Keep the sport simple (such as soccer, tennis, baseball or Frisbee). It’s better if minimal equipment is required. This means you can go to a local park, a beach or just use your garden. Spending an hour playing a simple sport is all you need.
Old-Time Games
There are many games that children used to play, but which have been lost. For example, think about skipping, hop-scotch, tag, hide and seek and war games. Think back to your own childhood and start to introduce these games as a family. They were popular for a reason.
In conclusion, whatever exercise you choose, make sure it is fun. If children are having fun, they will want to do more of the same, which keeps them active and happy- the best of both worlds.
