10 Fun Family Fitness Tips to Stay Healthy Together
“Happy and healthy parents make happy and healthy children!”
Your children will not remember everything you tell them for they have young minds. But they will remember how you make them feel. So be careful with your actions because it affects their emotions. Aim to have what every family wants - a healthy body and sound mind.
Of course, being healthy means doing healthy routines. But some of them may be boring. So here are 10 fitness tips your family can do together - while having fun!
1. Warming Up
Before anything else, warm-up is a must! Proper warm-up before activities will increase blood flow to muscles and help loosen up joints. Warming up will also prevent injuries since your muscles will less likely to tear or rip when sudden movements occur or when extreme activities are performed.
Flexibility exercises, jogging and jumping jacks are basic warm-up exercises.
2. Make your outdoor activities more engaging
How your home or backyard looks will either encourage your children to play or not. If the area looks fun and stimulating, they will choose to play outside. If not, they will just play on their mobile or video games.
Cool idea: place climbing ropes or mini ladders for older kids, and ball pit for younger kids. Be sure to place rubber mats around hard floor surfaces to prevent head injuries.
3. Play some upbeat music
It would be difficult to be all energetic, enthusiastic, and competitive without some music, right? So before you start with the games or activities, choose a lively music that suits best for everyone. This will boost everybody’s mood and stir up more excitement!
4. Wear loose clothing and observe safety precautions
Wearing loose clothing makes movement easier and more comfortable. It also increases air flow to skin to help sweat evaporate.
Having these safety precautions during activities will prevent any injuries or harm:
- Helmet, protective gears, knee and elbow pads must be worn, especially for kids
- Everyone must follow the rules
- Take rests in between to avoid fatigue and dehydration
- Stay hydrated, drink plenty of water
- Don’t play when exhausted or injured
- Apply sunscreen during daytime when playing outdoors to avoid sunburn or redness of the skin
- Use mosquito/bugs repellent
5. Engage with nature
Fitness activities don’t always need to be extreme or too challenging. Of course, there are times you and your family just want to chill, but still in an interactive and fun way.
Here, engaging with nature is the best option for everybody. It’s good for both physical and mental health.
Your children will also appreciate the outside world, which can enhance their creativity and imagination.
Walking the dog, hiking, or even planting are great activities to try.
6. Consistent healthy habits
Consistency is the key so that all efforts, sweat, and energy won’t go to waste.
Being consistent doesn’t require being high-maintenance. Healthy habits and simple living are both enough to stay fit together.
Teach everyone basic household chores to establish discipline and organization skills. Teach your kids to make up their beds, clean their mess, and keep their toys in storage.
Teach them to finish what needs to be done first before they play.
Make healthy snacks for kids and adults so everyone won’t always depend on junk foods.
7. Mix different activities
Sometimes, no matter how cool activities are, if everyone keeps doing it all over again, it becomes boring. Be creative by rotating each one of them.
For example, you play tug of war this day, and for the next activity try a more exciting one like treasure hunting.
If you play bowling or billiards this week, next week try playing tag or ball toss for a more interactive game.
Dancing video games are also a fun way to get everyone moving.
Physical activities don’t always have to be sports. The goal is to make everyone stay fit and active.
8. Restrict screen time
During activities, refrain everyone from using mobile phones or gadgets, unless there’s an emergency.
Screen time breaks the bond and momentum, so make sure everyone appreciates the quality time by focusing on the activity.
9. Invite relatives or friends to have activities with
Having other people to play with is more engaging and fun. It also improves socialization and problem-solving skills. Children who play with peers help them regulate their emotions, which also unleashes a personal sense of identity. But with our current situation, make sure you still follow minimum health protocols.
10. Give prizes or rewards
Make your fitness activity more exciting with prizes or rewards. It will be easier to strike children’s interest if they see prizes. Here are few cool ideas:
Rewards for adults:
- Sanitizer
- Bath bombs
- Movies or CDs
- Gift basket
- Baking supplies
- Aesthetic but affordable decors
- Beers or cocktails in can (no hard liquors please)
- Snacks
- Gift cards or coupons
For kids:
- Chocolates, candies, or snacks (but not too much)
- Educational toys (depending on the age) like giant blocks or Lego for older kids, and alphabet robots for younger ones
- Books
- Money or increased allowance, yey!
- Cool water bottle
- Board game
- Small pet like fish, hamster, bird (because kids love pets)
Takeaways
Children see, children do, so lead by example. Stay fit with your family by doing fun activities, eating right, and establishing healthy routines together.
Lastly, don’t forget to keep your masks worn and keep safe!
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