Family Fitness Tips: How to Exercise Together

Inactivity or lack of exercise is one of the significant causes of obesity. 1 out of 4 adults and 1 out of 5 children aged 10 to 11 are obese in the UK. It is vital to discuss obesity to prevent serious sicknesses such as coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, and many more. 

With the increase of these lifestyle diseases, many families opt to have private family health insurance. This insurance is beneficial to prevent financial difficulties during health emergencies.

What is the Importance of Exercising Together as a Family?

Aside from insurance, it’s also best if your family starts to get fit. Exercising together has many benefits, including: 

Stronger Family Bond 

Instead of spending family time watching television, why not exercise as a form of your bonding? Exercising and family sports can encourage communication and teamwork. 

By doing sports together, parents will get to know their children better. They’ll also get to understand their children’s strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, children will learn that good teamwork and communication is vital to achieving a common goal. 

Better Physical Health

By staying fit together as a family, you teach your children the importance of exercise and eating well to promote physical health. Through physical fitness activities, members will have lower chances of having lifestyle diseases. It will also improve the family’s immune system to fight against infections.

Improved Mental and Emotional Wellbeing

Our body increases serotonin levels through exercise and physical activity, decreasing stress levels and depression. It will also increase your child’s self-esteem. By working together, parents can also enhance their children’s problem-solving skills. 

Eight Family Fitness Tips

Now that you know some main advantages of exercising as a family, here are some tips you can use:

1. Make a Family Fitness Plan

If your family is not used to physical activity such as exercise and family sports, it may be challenging to start engaging them in such activities.

Start by letting your family know that exercising is a fun, healthy habit. Find out what play, sports, or types of exercise the members are interested in. Be sure to talk with every family member when making the fitness plan.

2. Take a Walk

Taking walks are great as a first step of exercising together. It will not only gradually increase your family’s physical activity, but it will also give opportunities to communicate with each other. Whether you do it daily or several times a week, it is a perfect way to talk with each other.

3. Make Physical Activity Fun

Making physical activity fun and creative can increase your family’s involvement. Instead of just exercising at home, why not have a family cycling day?

Also, children love to play. If your children are still young, you can take them to the playground and make sure to engage with them. Meanwhile, teenagers love adventures. You can take them on a hike.

4. Dance to Your Favorite Music

Dancing is a fun exercise that engages the entire body. It can burn calories, improve flexibility, and improve circulation. Actually, dancing for 20 minutes three times a week can significantly improve heart health. Aside from having a healthier body, dancing can also improve your family’s mental health. There are many videos available online that you can simply follow. 

5. Try Family Competitions

Having a family competition can motivate your family. You can set a physical activity with a goal. For example, you can give rewards to those who can jump rope the longest without missing or who can spin hula-hoop the longest. You can provide fitness gifts as a reward.

6. Get Fit for a Charity

Choose a good cause you want to participate in. Walking or running for a fundraising activity is a great way to enjoy physical activity while also helping others. It will benefit your family’s health and instil in them the importance of giving back to the community.

7. Work Together in the Yard

Exercising in the yard depends on the season. Let the whole family clear the walkway during the winter season and build a snowman. During autumn, when leaves are falling, you can compete to see who will catch more of them. During windy days, you can take your family to fly a kite.

8. Set Boundaries for Screen Time

Think about ways to minimize your children’s screen time. You might want them to do more physical play outside or let TV commercials be a time for fitness breaks.

Conclusion

Lack of physical activity can lead to different medical conditions in the long run. To make sure that every family member is healthy and fit, exercising together can be vital. Make exercise fun and creative to engage every member of the family.