Most families pursue fitness goals separately – the parents usually go to the gym while the children are dropped off at football classes. While this is not necessarily the wrong way to go, exercising as a family can have even better benefits for you and your children, especially when it comes to travel. Health experts worldwide recommend that at least an hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity is essential for maintaining good health and well-being.
When you make fitness a family activity, not only do you bond and strengthen your relationships, but you also prepare yourselves physically for more enjoyable and adventurous travel experiences. Imagine hiking through picturesque landscapes, exploring new cities on foot, or participating in exciting outdoor activities together.
This might sound like a lot of time to take out from your routine, but once you get the hang of involving your kids in your chores, you will see that it is far easier to spend time together and exercise on the side, ensuring that you and your family are in the best shape for your travel adventures.
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Why Explore Fitness As A Family?
Physical activity becomes more sustainable and effective when it is fun, and what can be more fun than involving your children in your daily workouts? Regardless of age, fitness and well being play a very important role in maintaining overall health and happiness. Other than the fun aspect of it, exploring fitness as a family will also promote bonding and mutual cooperation among family members, which is seldom seen in today’s busy world.
It is a healthy habit
When the whole family is physically active together, there will be lesser instances of children falling sick. The family as a whole will benefit from this routine because it would reduce stress and lower the chances of heart-related ailments. Moreover, this way, you and your family can exercise all year round instead of only exercising during specific months of the year.
Physical activity does not have to be limited to only exercising or working out. Any number of daily activities can count as exercise as long as they are performed routinely. For example, make it a habit to use the stairs instead of the elevator, play a quick game instead of napping after your afternoon meals, bike to work and to the grocery store, and so on. In this way, you will not only be indulging in exercise yourself, but you will also be teaching your kids how to live a healthier and happier life, thus guaranteeing their long-term health.
Everyone is involved
Exercising as a family is a great way to keep everyone motivated and involve the entire family in the process. Make sure that you choose the activity keeping in mind everyone’s opinion so that no one feels forced into doing anything. This way, everyone will stay engaged and what’s more, you will have a wonderful time with them. As we mentioned before, this does not necessarily have to mean actual exercise- even a small gardening or vacuuming session where your kids can lend a hand with the chores will be a great way to bond and stay healthy.
It sets a great example
When everyone wants to be engaged and take part in this special family time activity, you are essentially teaching your kids to value their health over everything else. This lesson will stay with them throughout their lives, and they will in turn, teach it to their kids, and the cycle will continue. Young children often do not realize the need for exercise and can act grumbly when they are asked to work out. However, by incorporating activities they actively prefer instead of boring routines, you can push them towards appreciating the concept of fitness further.
It allows the family to bond
Working moms have a plethora of responsibilities, and they often miss out on family fun times because of this. Exercising as a family will also bring members closer to each other and strengthen their familial bond. Bonding can take many forms, for instance, volunteering at your kid’s football fame or teaching a new activity to your kids or even performing some at-home bodyweight workouts together. These are all great ways to spend time with your family and create cherished memories which will stay with your kids long after they have grown up.
How To Start A Family Fitness Routine?
If you are serious about exercising as a family, the first thing to decide is the outcome of your activity. Are you trying to remain healthy, lose weight, spend more time with your kids, or just maintain your overall well-being? You will have to set some time every week for the entire family to engage in a certain activity, and schedule all your other tasks accordingly so that there is no clash. To make sure that you stick to engaging in the activity, make a dedicated routine and stick it somewhere around the house where everyone would be able to see it, so they will subconsciously be reminded of the importance of the activity every time they glance at it. Wearable technology like Fitbit might also be a good idea for keeping track of fitness goals and progress. You can even maintain the fitness routine while traveling.
The importance of adequate nutrition and hydration must also be emphasized here, particularly for young growing children. Simply working out or engaging in physical activity without getting the right nutrients required for growth and development can have a negative impact on growing children. Similarly, working moms should also be aware of the nutrients they need to consume to maintain their bone density and muscle elasticity. It is advised to visit a dietitian to get a proper diet chart before beginning any new kind of diet.
That’s A Wrap!
As you adjust to your new family fitness routine, it is very important to listen to your body and take rest when you are feeling too overwhelmed. Remember that overexerting yourself will likely have no positive effect on you, in fact, it might cause muscle fatigue, which can invite a host of other problems for you. Let us know how you and your family stay fit and active!
Disclaimer: Links in this page are meant to help you find relevant information and book attractions easier by linking directly to specific pages on partner websites (i.e. TripAdvisor, Vegas.com). If you click a link, we may earn a small commission on transactions. This helps support the cost of running our website, and it adds absolutely no extra cost to you as the consumer. Thank you, we appreciate your support! You can read more on our disclosure policy.
