Children need 60 minutes of physical activity each day, while adults need two hours per week. Since COVID-19 struck in 2020, it has been more difficult for people to become physically active, let alone a whole family together. All ages of children and adults should be physically active and there is a ton of benefits to gain for the whole family if they do it together.
While you might think that the idea of exercising is daunting and nearly impossible, you don’t have to be an athlete to get the most out of your activities. If you are a parent wondering what you can do to make your family just that little bit healthier, here are some great ideas that you can incorporate today.
Schedule the Time
It’s easy to put off something if it isn’t in your diary or isn’t a common practice. To get started on being more physically active as a family, schedule it into your calendar just like you would a work meeting or school event. Start small and schedule a two-hour outing every month where you ride bikes or play baseball, and then gradually increase the time.
If you can establish a routine, it will become a habit and before you know it, you and your family will be healthier and looking forward to the next activity. Keep it exciting as well by doing something different each time.
Learn a Competitive Sport
Being competitive can benefit you and your children more than you realize. It isn’t so much about winning or losing but rather learning where your strength and weaknesses lie. It will keep you and your family motivated to keep improving. Some competitive sports that are ideal to incorporate into your family time are things like soccer, karate, or creating a baseball league from home.
Baseball is one of the more popular options because it teaches hand-eye coordination and is a great cardiovascular workout. First, start by learning how to pitch and hit a ball. Invest in some baseball bats and maybe look at a soft toss machine. The best soft toss machines allow for hundreds of reps so that you can practice for as long as you need.
Limit TV and Devices
It is all too easy for us to get on our phones or put on the TV when we are bored or have nothing better to do. The problem is that if you don’t use your brain the way it is meant, you can start to lose brain function if you spend too much time looking at screens. Start by setting a limit of only two hours of TV or phone time a night. The rest of the time must be spent as a family doing something active.
If you battle to get your spouse or children interested in stepping away from their devices, ask them what they would do if they had no access whatsoever to their phone or iPad. Challenge your family to a dance-off or act out your favorite movies as though you are in a theatrical play. There is so much that you can get done when you aren’t glued to a TV or cell phone.
Go for Hikes
Getting out in the fresh will do wonders for your mental and physical well-being. Hiking doesn’t require anything more than a good pair of shoes, a water bottle, and your family. Make it a weekly outing on a Saturday or Sunday morning to find a new hiking trail to explore each time.
If you want to get more of a workout, carry a backpack with some rocks, and see which one of your family members can get to the top of the hill first. Just make it fun so that the kids want to keep going back for more.
Being more physically active is no easy feat. You only need to start small with one or two of these ideas to get your family on the right track to being healthier.
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