What are Some Easy Ways to get my Family to be More Active?

If you want your family to be more active, you can be the one to get the ball rolling – literally! Start small with weekly activities the whole family can participate in such as playing ball in the yard or at the park every Sunday. Have a rained out option ready as a substitute such as a fun kids’ exercise DVD or video that the whole family can do together. Once your family can keep a commitment to being active together one day a week, you can start adding additional activities.

Try a Saturday spent exploring a nearby nature area to help your family to be more active. Just about anywhere you can go dog walking can be great fun for the whole family, including the dog. Try new sports as a family. Family swims and skates at the local recreation center offer great opportunities for a family to be more active as well.

When your family goes on a picnic, be sure to pack some baseball gloves and baseballs or other sports stuff. Maybe you could get a few other families to join you and divide into teams for a fun baseball game. Bowling can be a fun team sport that helps your family to be more active when the weather isn't so great for outdoor activities. In the summer, swimming outdoors can be a lot of fun.

A great way for a family to be more active as well as fit is to take walks or bike rides together after dinner. You could save dessert for after you get back. Even a walk or bike ride that lasts only half an hour can be a good start if you try and do this a few days a week. All the activities a family does together shows the children that fitness can be fun and is valued by his or her family. The idea of the whole family doing the activities together shows that the parents also value spending time doing things with the children which can really make kids feel great!