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Family Fitness
Making Family Fitness Fun
Physical activity is a vital part of staying healthy. Encouraging healthy habits in your child is one of the best things a parent can do to help guarantee a healthier life. Being active can help kids and adults have healthier body weights, less body fat, and stronger muscles and bones.
Activity can help prevent heart disease, cancer, and stroke. It can also lessen feelings of depression and boost confidence. As children get older, they often reduce their physical activity; therefore, making activity a family focus is key.
The CDC advises that kids ages 3 to 5 should be physically active throughout the day. Kids aged 6 to 17 years old should get at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity or exercise daily. Three days each week should consist of high-intensity exercise. The CDC also advises that adults aged 18 years and older get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week. And one of the best ways to meet your goals is to work on them as a family.
A little bit of planning can help make physical activity a fun part of your regular family life:
- Talk with your child’s healthcare provider.
- Write down an activity goal.
- Create a family activity calendar.
- Make a menu of fun choices.
- Let your children help pick activities.
- Limit screen time.
- Reschedule, don’t cancel an activity.
- Be a role model.
Here are some fun ideas for family activities:
- Dance in the living room to your favorite songs.
- Do house and yard work together.
- Garden together.
- Go hiking in a local park.
- Help clean a local park.
- Play an active video game that involves fun body movement.
- Play games, such as tag, catch or Frisbee.
- Play sports, such as soccer, basketball, tennis or badminton.
- Ride your bikes together.
- Swim laps.
- Take regular family walks on weekend mornings, after dinner and any other time you can.
- Take stairs instead of elevators or escalators, and keep a stair count.
- Take the dog for a walk or jog.
A child with healthy habits is more likely to grow into an adult with healthy habits. When physical activities are a family priority, they can help give children a great foundation for a healthy life.
To access the full article on family fitness fun, click here.
