HOW TO GET YOUR FAMILY EXERCISING

Unsure of how to get the entire family exercising? Sometimes it can be hard enough to motivate yourself to exercise… Let alone the entire family. However, it is important for everyone in your family to maintain an active lifestyle. Exercise improves heart health, muscle strength, and endurance.

Exercise also makes you happier! Exercise has powerful antidepressive effects and in many countries is the first line of treatment for mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. There are many easy and fun ways to get your family active:

Incorporate it into everyday activities – Park further away at the grocery, do abs or any plyometric exercise (lunges, squats, etc.) during the commercial break of your family’s favorite show, make a walk before/after dinner a daily occurrence. All of these are small ways to incorporate exercise into your daily schedule!

Make it fun – Exercise doesn’t have to be a chore. Make it a fun, competitive “game night” for the family. Play volleyball in the backyard, invite the neighbors for a Smith vs. Johnson game of kickball, see who can do the most push-ups, or see who run around the block the fastest!

Holiday 5k’s – Every holiday our social media feeds become flooded with pictures from various “turkey trots” or “Memorial Day fun runs” but there are so many reasons why your family should be joining in on the fun. Holiday 5k’s are awesome because they are for people of any fitness level. You can run, jog, or walk your way to the finish line. This way even the little ones can be apart of the fun in a stroller or on foot!

Holiday 5k’s are also great because while most gyms are closed on holidays there are 5k’s for just about any holiday! This means you can get quality exercise in before you all eat a little more than you should!

Keep each other accountable – There are times in our fitness journeys where we fall off of the wagon so to speak. Having the whole family on board with being active ensures a built in support system!

Remember to change it up – Not everyone is going to have the same preferences in exercises. Make sure to let every member have a turn in picking the exercise for the day! Differing your activities will ensure that you and your family will never get bored of the same old workout routine!