Healthy Habits: 5 Ways To Stay Active as a Family

Setting aside time to go to the gym is difficult, especially if you have a full-time job and a family. Thankfully, physical activity doesn’t have to mean lifting weights or running laps. When you exercise with your family, it has all the advantages of a gym workout with the added benefit of spending quality time with those you love. Here’s a few ways to incorporate fitness into your everyday routine, and including any and all relatives along the way.

Reimagine the Family Room

Oftentimes, family rooms are the center of laziness in a home – there’s the couch, the television, and most likely, a video-game console encouraging your family to lounge. Fortunately, there are a few ways to add in subtle reminders to get your family thinking about physical activity. You could easily tuck away some resistance bands, a yoga mat, and dumbbells in a small basket in the corner. There are even video games oriented towards movement, such as the Just Dance series or Nike + Kinect Training.

Play Outdoors

Biking, beachgoing, and swimming are great summer activities; sledding, building a snowman, and ice skating are fun in the winter. Choose an activity, and take the entire family out. Regardless of the season, walking the dog, going to the park, or taking a hike are all enjoyable ways to have your family experience the outdoors.

Take a Class Together

Ask around at your local community center or fitness club about aerobics or yoga classes offered to parents and kids together. If your little one is too young for these activities, try looking for a class that will help you burn calories with your baby by incorporating him or her into your workout.  

Make Chores Fun

Instead of assigning each member of the family to a specific chore, turn chores into a game you can all do together. Play music while you’re finishing up laundry, and ask the kids to sing and dance while they help fold and put clothes away.

Build a Fort

Constructing a fort, whether it’s inside or outside, is an activity that not only keeps your kids active (and gives you an upper body workout), but involves problem-solving skills and fuels the imagination. Plus, you already have all the items you’ll need: chairs, blankets, cardboard boxes, old rugs, and maybe leftover plywood. Bonus, if you have a clothesline, you’ve got a head start – just drape a blanket over top of it!