It's not easy to keep your family in shape when all of you have busy work and school schedules. Although children and adolescents should get one hour of physical activity daily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, not all children reach that goal. Family fitness doesn't have to mean boring calisthenics, but can include games and fun activities that make your children look forward to exercise time.
Walking
Walking is a good way for everyone in your family to stay fit, and it doesn't require costly equipment. The Greatschools website suggests making walks more interesting by giving your children a list of items to spot as you walk. Items can include a coin, pine cone, specific type of car or a type of dog. If your children aren't fond of walking, you can still make sure they get enough exercise by parking farther away from stores and movie theaters. Varying the route you walk can also make walking more interesting.
Backyard Games
Traditional outdoor games, such as tag, kickball, hide and seek and Frisbee, can keep your family's blood flowing and muscles working. Kids Health from Nemours suggests keeping a variety of equipment, such as balls, hula hoops and jump ropes, on hand. Offering a variety of choices helps to combat boredom. If conflict develops over winning while playing a game, try activities that don't have clear winners, like playing catch or running through an obstacle course. You can create a homemade obstacle course in your backyard using old tires, cardboard boxes, sand buckets and other items.
Outdoor Activities
Biking, hiking, swimming, sailing and pick-up games of basketball are good choices for outdoor activities. Ask your children to help you pick a route for your bicycle trip, sail or hike. Involving children in planning can help them feel more enthusiastic about family activities. The type of activity you choose doesn't matter as much as picking a sport or activity that the whole family enjoys. While summer weather provides many more opportunities for family fitness activities, you don't have to spend the winter in front of the television. When the weather turns cold, try skiing, tubing, snow shoeing or ice skating. Indoor activities, such as roller skating and bowling, can also help the whole family stay in shape in the winter.
Organized Activities
Participating in organized activities can help your family enjoy some time together in a more structured way. If your children are younger, you can serve as a coach or assistant for a tee ball, soccer or other types of sports team. Practicing the fundamentals with the team will help you stay active and fit. If your children are teenagers, you may enjoy playing on a softball team together or enrolling in an aerobics class.
