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"Exercise not only changes your body, it changes your mind, your attitude and your mood." -Unknown
Of all things we should be doing regularly (healthy eating, stretching, mindfulness, reading, etc.), exercise is by far one of the most important. Through regular practise, we are not only toning the body, but we are also working towards a more balanced mind and a healthy attitude that is more equipped to handle the problems that the day might throw at us.
It's worth mentioning that a positive outlook towards exercise and a healthy lifestyle is developed from a very young age. Therefore, parents should do their utmost to include physical activities in the daily lives of their children.
However, while it is a brilliant idea to take part in exercise moments with the entire family, most parents are not personal trainers and may struggle to develop an adequate exercise plan. So, without further ado, in today's article, we shall look at five ways exercise can enter family life without any of the members facing too much pain.
Why Exercise is Important
In recent years, there has been much media coverage about children not getting enough exercise. A lack of exercise occurs at home as youngsters prefer to engage in more sedentary activities such as video games with their online associates. Also, physical education is not every day at school, and most of the day, children sit around at their desks. If extracurricular activities of being involved in sports are not taken seriously, most children and teenagers will go without exercise most of the time.
So, you could say that with increasing cases of childhood obesity and games that are completed in the comfort of your own home, exercise is one of those things we all need to prioritise; parents and children alike!
Physical activity throughout childhood is of significant importance because researchers have understood that regular exercise not only positively reflects a child’s physical health but also their mental well-being. Additionally, physical exercise during childhood improves performance and achievement in a vast number of activities.
Those involved in physical exercise from a young age are investing in their health as an adult since they will have healthier organs, blood, and overall immunity.
As for adults, those who take part in regular exercise are less likely to become susceptible to life-threatening diseases and conditions such as cancer, heart failure, and diabetes. Also, adults who exercise regularly benefit their mental health since they will feel happier, less anxious, and more equipped to ward off feelings of depression.
Therefore, knowing all of this, we must say that investing time and creating a healthier lifestyle as a family should be of prime importance.
Five of the Best Ways to Make Sure That Physical Exercise is Part of Daily Family Life
Perhaps the primary reason modern families aren't taking enough time to exercise is that they are so busy and their lives are so complex. Parents are working longer hours than ever before to make ends meet, and children have homework up to their ears. By the end of the day, everyone in the family is so tired that they resort to mindless activities such as watching television or playing video games.
Without further delay, we'll take a look at how families, with the parents initiative, make exercise an integral part of the weekly schedule in an engaging way; let's look at five ways to see how this can happen.
Choose Physical Activities That the Whole Family Will Love
To ensure that every family member enjoys exercising, it is of the utmost importance to select a physical activity that all can enjoy. Such as? Since every family is different, parents need to brainstorm some suggestions with their kids to determine what type of exercise would be fun for all involved.
The following are a few physical activities that might be suggested:
- Taking a walk,
- Going hiking,
- Joining an exercise class,
- Playing football, basketball, volleyball, or any other group sport,
- Renting a court at a tennis club,
- Going for a bike ride,
- Going to the public pool for some swimming,
- Rollerskating.
All of the previously mentioned physical activities are insanely entertaining, and, as parents, if you suggest them to your kids, they are bound to agree to participate. Also, make sure you ask all in the family about what every one of them would like to do. Your children might have brilliant suggestions that you didn't think about before.
By alternating physical activities, everyone will feel happy that what they wanted to do got included. In addition, they will look forward to all the exercise sessions you have planned as a family.
Make Yard Work Entertaining
Those who live outside of densely populated urban areas and have the privilege of owning a home with a backyard know more than anybody else that while it is nice to have a yard, many chores need to be done daily.
Some parents do the work themselves, and others assign chores to their sons and daughters to complete the yard work, but why not take in yard work altogether and make it a fun physical activity?
It's important to state that though yard work isn't a sport like football or tennis, it is gruelling and demands much physical attention at times. Therefore, it's a perfect activity to stay energetic and physically active.
Parents should make yard work less of a chore by engaging in it together as a family. Try to create positive memories of raking leaves, jumping in them, shovelling snow and making snow forts, or planting a garden and yielding its fruits. When yard work is fun, hours pass by quickly, and the whole family enjoys some bonding time and a workout together.
Plan Trips With Physical Activities Included
Whether you're a child, teenager, or adult, everyone in the family enjoys an exciting adventure or well-planned trip away from home. Therefore, wise parents are competent to plan exciting trips and have many physical activities included throughout the holiday.
Some families enjoy participating in the following physical activities whilst on vacation:
- River rafting,
- Hiking,
- Waterpark adventures,
- Swimming,
- Watersports,
- Skiing or snowboarding,
- Skating,
- Walking,
- Snowshoeing.
Regardless of where you live in the UK, the previously mentioned activities are sure to be fun and get your blood pumping simultaneously.
Also, before moving on to the next point, we should never disregard walking as a healthy exercise. Not only is walking free, but it's actually low-intensity, easily enjoyable, and highly effective for toning the body and burning calories. So make walking through unknown cities to explore the next thing you do on holiday!
Set Aside Time on the Weekly Calendar
It is much too easy to let time distract us from doing important things without careful planning. So, parents, you must encourage your children and let them know that physical exercise is serious by scheduling it into the weekly schedule.
When your son or daughter sees that exercise needs to be done at a specific time, they will view it as something of urgency that is on par with doing their homework, brushing their teeth, and going to school. Having a family discussion to determine how much time should be dedicated to physical exercise per week will help everyone get on the same page.
Remember, a few regular exercise sessions are much more beneficial than a large block of physical activity once a month. Therefore, considering planning physical activities every day or a few times a week. Sessions don't have to last hours. A few minutes of stretching before breakfast or a short yet brisk walk after dinner may be all that you need.
Try to establish the goal of reserving one weekend day per month dedicated to participating in a physical activity that is either indoors or outdoors; the whole family will enjoy it!
Incorporate Technology to Make Exercise More Engaging
Since we live in the digital age and technology has taken over, it is sometimes impossible to go without it when engaged in essential activities. So, to not disappoint the kids and get with the times, we powerfully suggest using technological devices when exercising. Such as?
The following are a few ways that all family members can utilise technology when engaged in physical activities:
- Follow the exercises from YouTube videos on your tablet,
- Use your smartwatch to track your steps and your overall physical progress,
- Listen to music while you go out for a run or a walk.
Because children and teens of the 21st century are incredibly tech-savvy, we are confident that they will find additional ways than the ones mentioned above to include technology during family exercise routines.
In conclusion, if you haven't had the chance to start regularly exercising as a family yet, we exceptionally suggest that you start ASAP. By including friends, fun physical activities, and modern-day aspects to your exercise routines, parents will teach their children from a young age that exercising and taking care of their health isn't painful in the slightest!
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