This post was sponsored by Boys & Girls Clubs of America as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
With kids spending more time playing video games and less time outside playing, it is no wonder childhood obesity and juvenile Type 2 diabetes is at an all-time high. If you like to exercise, get your whole family involved. Not only will it create some good family quality time, but it will instill good fitness habits in your kids. Here are 5 easy ways to stay healthy and fit as a family.
Studies show that people will keep up an exercise or fitness routine if they have someone to do it with. What better way to have a consistent fitness partner than enlist your family to share in the fun? Beginning exercise as a child will build a lifetime of healthy fitness habits for your children.
5 Easy Ways to Stay Healthy and Fit as a Family
Make it fun
For kids to enjoy physical activity, it has to be fun for them. Swimming, sports and outdoor games all make getting exercise more enjoyable. Activities, such a flag football or kickball, can spark the competitive spirit to see who the “best” is. In the end, you are all winners!
The local park or playground can also offer plenty of ways for the whole family to get involved.
Do it for a cause
Exercising for your own well-being is one thing, however, it is not necessarily a cause shared by your kids, so make your family fitness activities benefit something.
There are always “k” or fun runs of various distances for the whole family that raise money to support various organizations. Scour your neighborhood and solicit pledges of money that will go to your cause when you finish the event.
Your kids will get a sense of satisfaction knowing their efforts are helping out somewhere.
The Boys and Girls Clubs of America is a great place to get involved as well. Triple Play is BGCA’s leading comprehensive health and wellness program that serves young people at Boys & Girls Clubs, giving them the tools and awareness necessary to put them on the path to a great future.
Plan a monthly fitness activity
Kids like to look forward to things and what better thing to look forward to than a monthly family outing. If the weather is nice, plan to go on some nature hikes together or swimming. Afterward, enjoy a healthy picnic lunch.
In the fall, go to an orchard and pick your own apples or other fruit. Not only will you get exercise, but fruits are good for you to eat. If you get winter weather in your area, ice-skating, skiing or snowboarding are all great ways to get exercise.
Join a family friendly gym
Kids love adventurous activities that challenge them. Find a gym that offers a rock climbing wall, kickboxing or martial arts. Not only will they get a lot of exercise doing these activities, but they will develop self-confidence in themselves. A high self-esteem leads to a more enjoyable life for them and decreases the chances depression, bullying or other self-destruction tendencies.
Triple Play, as a part of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, is focused on these types of healthy lifestyle changes at a young age. National support from Empire Blue Cross and Coca-Cola make it possible for Boys & Girls Clubs around the country to operate Triple Play.
Set the example
Generally kids look up to their parents. By you exercising regularly and eating nutritiously, they will adopt a similar healthy lifestyle as they grow up. Not only will they live a healthier life, but they will be more inclined to pass it onto their kids. Your actions today can set the example for a healthy lifestyle for generations to come.
One of the key mantras for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America is “I Feel Better When”. This simple phrase encourages families to explore the ways little habits and changes can have long-term and lasting impact.
How does your family get fit as a family? What do you do together to feel better?
Kori
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