Skip to main content

Now is the perfect time for your family to exercise together – here’s how

Any time is the ideal time to get the family exercising together. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 73 percent of adults over the age of 20 are overweight. Statistics also show 20 percent of kids ages six to 11 are overweight. Even kids as young as two are battling with obesity. A great way to get the entire family healthy is do incorporate daily exercise into the schedule for everyone. With work, school, and extracurricular schedules, setting aside time to exercise can be challenging. Getting the family moving doesn’t have to take up a lot of time, and working out with kids forces adults to squeeze in daily exercise too. Now, you don’t have to go to the gym to get a great workout or spend a fortune on gear. Here are some fun and easy ways to add exercise to your family’s day.

Walk to school

If you live within close proximity to school, walking to and from school is a perfect pick for getting in the daily steps. Don’t let inclement weather deter walks to and from school either. Kids love to walk in the rain and snow. All you need is a pair of wellies along with an umbrella to keep everyone dry.

Walk at practice

Younger siblings and parents spend a lot of time waiting around at practices. Make the most of those minutes by bringing the sneakers and a stroller if needed. Instead of standing around on the field or sitting in the car steaming shows in the parking lot, take a walk.

Take an after-dinner stroll

Once the dinner dishes are done and the kitchen is clean, have the whole family take a walk around the neighborhood. Bring the dog if you have one. An after-dinner walk doesn’t have to be long, especially during busy work and school weeks. Aim for 15 to 20-minute walks, and make the after-dinner stroll longer on weekends.

Family out for a bike ride in the woods
Sergey Novikov/Shutterstock

Take a family bike ride

Change up the after-dinner walks with a family bike ride. A bike ride is a great way for the whole family to exercise. On weekends, try and explore bike paths in your area for more miles.

Dance

Don’t let rain clouds or chilly temperatures keep the family from exercising. If the weather is bad, turn on upbeat music and have a family dance party. Aim for about 10 minutes or three songs.

Hold sports nights

Just like game or movie nights, hold a family sports night. If your kids are into hockey, soccer, basketball, baseball, or football organize the family into a fun game a couple of nights a week. To keep things fresh, try playing different sports kids don’t usually play like dodge ball or badminton.

Tag

You’re it! Tag is a universal game kids love to play, and when parents and caregivers get involved, it makes the game so much more exciting for kids. A few rounds of tag outside after dinner is a workout for everyone even the family dog.

Hide and seek

Another popular kids’ game, hide and seek, can be a workout. Get multiple families involved to get those steps in.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Take a hike

It’s tough to take a hike during the work and school week, but on the weekends or days off, hiking is a wonderful family-friendly activity that gets everyone outside walking and climbing.

Head to the playground

If you live near a playground, take a walk after dinner as a family. Instead of just watching the kids, get involved, too. Kids love it when parents and caregivers go down the slide, have a swing, or shoot baskets.

A family doing chores together at home
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Chores

Adults know cleaning the house and maintaining the yard is a workout. Assign everyone chores inside and out. It gets the family moving and will cut your chore time down. This will leave more time for family walks and bike rides outside. When seasonal chores like raking leaves and shoveling snow roll around, make sure the kids pitch in. Both of those activities are exercises. Sure kids may not think of chores as exercise, but you can try and make it more interesting by making chores a game.

Sign the family up for a 5K

Keep everyone motivated to move by signing the entire family up for a local 5K or charity run. Start preparing with a half-mile run and slowly work up to the 3.2 miles.

Many adults complain they can’t find the time to work out because of the kids. If you have kids, you know that’s true. Between work, house responsibilities, and tending to the children, hitting the gym can be difficult. If you include the kids, then it is a win-win for everyone. A family that works out together gets healthy together. Exercising as a family is a wonderful way to show kids how important it is to be physically active.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3 to 5-year-olds need at least an hour of physical activity a day. The number goes up as kids age. With smartphones, video games, and streaming services, it can be hard for kids and adults to get moving. Doing it as a family keeps everyone motivated and exercising. Try one or more of these fun ways to get your family exercising together. In addition to adopting a healthier lifestyle, you will be making memories and teaching your kids about the positive benefits of daily exercise.

Editors' Recommendations

Dawn Miller
Dawn Miller began her professional life as an elementary school teacher before returning to her first love, writing. In…
Considerations for mountain bike rides with kids – read this before you hit the trails
Be prepared for your next adventure with your kids out on the mountain biking trails
Family outside biking together

Once the weather starts turning to warmer, longer days, you may consider finding more outdoor activities to do with your kids. Mountain biking can be a great way to get your kids outside, enjoy nature, and get some physical activity.

However, expectations of a glorious day with your kids on the trails can turn miserable if you're unprepared. Biking with kids is a different animal, and a few poor experiences can sully their perception. Before you and the kids strap on your helmets, throw your leg over your bike, and head out, ensure you’re heading into the best possible experience.
Mountain biking trails have ratings
Unless your child has been mountain biking for a while, green trails are usually the best option. Mountain biking adopted the same trail rating system as skiing — green circle: beginner, blue square: intermediate, black diamond: expert. But, it's important to remember that not all green trails are the same, especially from city to city and state to state. Trail ratings are relative, and they are usually reflective of other trails in the area.

Read more
Why your teen should get a summer job right now
Benefits of summer jobs for teens and some employment ideas
Newspaper advertising summer jobs for teens

Summertime is right around the corner. It won't take long before your teenager is bored, moody, unmotivated, and dare we say, a tad bit lazy. On the other side of the coin, perhaps your teen is the too-cool-for-summer type who wants to socialize all day, every day, heading to the mall, beach, pool, or with friends until it's curfew time.

Certainly, the summer is your adolescent's chance to relax, recharge, and enjoy some time off after a challenging school year. Summer doesn't mean teens are exempt from all responsibility, though. Spring is the ideal time to encourage your teen to start looking for a summer job.

Read more
Thinking about homeschooling your child? Here’s why it’s a bad idea
If you want to homeschool, consider these reasons not to homeschool first
Frustrated mom homeschooling her children

Homeschooling isn't necessarily a new educational concept. The process where children are educated at home by their parents has been around for ages. It wasn't until the 70s that the practice gained in popularity. The late 90s and early 2000s also saw a resurgence in the number of students being homeschooled. Numbers again increased during the pandemic after remaining at around 3% since 2012, according to the United States Census Bureau.

The reasons parents may choose homeschooling over conventional education usually involve safety concerns, flexibility, frequent moving, and wanting to create a more individualized learning environment. While the idea of homeschooling your child might be attractive, it's actually not as simple as you may think. Before removing your child from school, consider these reasons not to homeschool.
Legal requirements for homeschooling
Homeschooling isn't as easy as just not sending your child back to school. There are legal requirements for homeschooling children, and they differ in each state. Some states like New York and Pennsylvania have stricter guidelines, while others like Florida have few. Before making the decision to remove your child from school, take the time to review the homeschooling laws for the state you live in.
Commitments involved in homeschooling
Making the decision to homeschool means one parent is about to become your child's full-time teacher. The idea that school can now easily become a year-round activity is an attractive one, but for the parent doing the teaching, it's another full-time job. In addition to being a parent and all that responsibility it entails, you're about to become your child's teacher, tutor, and principal. You will also be in charge of creating multiple daily lesson plans and researching curriculum, as well as finding materials. If you have multiple children, you will be planning and teaching for different age groups.

Read more