Did you know that exercising can not only increase your energy but also help you to lose weight and fight chronic illness?
Well, if you didn’t, it can serve as motivation to get your whole family moving. Not to mention, when your whole family is on board you are more likely to make exercise a healthy habit instead of just trying to go at it alone.
What are some fun family exercises? And how do you get everyone on the exercise train?
Fun Family Exercises for a Healthier Lifestyle
Well, here are some ideas that will hopefully help you get started on a healthier lifestyle. However, first, how do you get everyone on board with a new routine?
1. Make it Fun
If you want to do anything and do it for any length of time, it helps if you actually enjoy what you are doing.
You need to make sure that you introduce exercise to your family as something fun, new, and exciting. Instead of making it feel like a chore.
Actually, when we introduced exercise to our family, we began with a gym membership. It was something fun for everyone. My husband got to do what he loved, my kids got to either go to a Kid’s Club or swim (which they loved), and I got a little time for myself while exercising before we all came back together and did something as a family while at the gym.
2. Make it Regular
Another way to make sure you get your family on board with a new healthy lifestyle is to make exercise something that is done regularly.
If you introduce a new fun activity and then don’t do it again for another month, don’t be surprised when your family isn’t about this new lifestyle.
However, if you introduce this new, fun activity and keep the momentum going by doing it a couple of times a week, then your family might just be as game for a healthy lifestyle as you are.
3. Make it Pay Off
Finally, you want to choose a fun, family activity that gets everyone active so you will feel the benefits of exercising regularly.
You also want to see this new lifestyle pay off in other ways too. If you see your kids having something in their lives that they look forward to, then this will make the effort put into the activity worth it.
Or if your family grows closer in the process, then that will be another huge benefit of having an active family lifestyle.
So you just want to see this activity pay off on different levels, so it will keep your family’s moral and interest peaked for this lifestyle.
Fun, Family Exercise Ideas to Do Together
1. Get Walking
When you decide that you want to lead a healthier lifestyle with your family, it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. As a matter of fact, if you live where there is any sort of flat surface, you can just get the kids out and go for a walk.
Now, I realize not everyone lives where there are nice walking trails. Still, even if you walk around your property, through a park, or on a road that doesn’t get a lot of traffic, you are still moving and spending quality time together.
2. Go for a Hike
We live in an area where there are great places to hike. There are multiple state parks nearby that are in the mountains.
From there, you just follow wonderful trails to get your heart rate up while taking in the scenery. This would be a fun and inexpensive way to get some activity in as a family.
3. Yoga
I’m actually a huge fan of yoga. It does great things for your body when you learn to stretch, be calm, and bend in ways you didn’t know you could.
There are also many benefits to yoga for your children too. One of the biggest benefits we’ve noticed since introducing our kids to yoga is how it helps them to concentrate. I’m not sure if yoga allows them to get all of their wiggles out or what, but it has helped our rambunctious boys to calm down a bit.
4. Have a Foot Race
If you are part of a competitive family, then why not make exercise go right along with that? You can set-up a finish line and a start line in your yard.
Then, as a family, race each other to see who can beat the other’s time. Do it repeatedly for a full 30-minute workout.
5. Go for a Bike Ride
Do you enjoy riding bikes? I used to as a kid. I grew up in a really small town, and we’d ride our bikes to the only little grocery store in town.
Then we’d stop off at the local college that had a creek running through it, so we could enjoy our snack. Finally, we’d bike home. Those were great memories, but we also stayed healthy by biking around town every day. Give it a try.
6. Grow a Garden
I love to garden. There is something about digging around in the dirt to help a little plant reach its full potential.
And you know what? My kids love it too! It is a great, physical activity that we get to do together. We also get to enjoy the health benefit of eating veggies straight from our garden as well. Not to mention, there are so many hidden benefits to gardening. You can’t help but fall in love with it.
7. Lift Some Weights
I’m a woman who lives in a house full of men. I have a husband and 3 boys who love to lift weights. I’m not as big of a fan of it, but if it keeps them moving, I’ll deal with it.
Weight lifting is great because it helps to strengthen your muscles while also amping up your metabolism. You can make this exercise easier for younger children by lifting less weight. When I was younger, I used soup cans as weights, so this doesn’t have to be an expensive exercise option either.
8. Build a Ninja Course
Do you watch the show American Ninja Warrior? If not, you are missing out. Though it comes on in the summer (which is my family’s busiest time) we always take the time to watch this show.
Naturally, my kids want their own course. Though we haven’t gotten around to building them one yet, you could. Then, as a family, have fun going through a challenging obstacle course while you have lots of fun too!
9. Take Up a Sport
Are you an athletic person? Sadly, I am not, but my husband and children are. They love football and basketball.
So if you are looking for a way to be more active, consider throwing a ball out in your front yard, or investing in a basketball goal. You could go to the park and play soccer, or even take up tennis since most towns have public tennis courts.
10. Learn Barre
Barre is actually a really intriguing workout. It includes toning a lot of different muscles in the body. Here is a link to get you started if you’re unfamiliar with it.
However, if you like doing things to tone muscles, then you might be able to get your family involved too and make it something you all do together.
11. Start Dancing
Dancing is just fun! You can turn dance into an exercise by enrolling the family in a dance class like tap, jazz, clogging, or ballet.
Or you could see if anyone locally is offering Zumba classes. They are so much fun and will really get you moving. They even offer Silver Sneakers (for older folks) Zumba classes in some locations. You can truly enjoy getting fit by dancing at any stage in life.
12. Pilates
My mom loves Pilates. It is gentle on your joints while also toning muscles. This could be a great way to get fit as a family, especially if some of your family members have physical limitations that make it difficult to participate in really intense exercises.
If you are curious to learn more about Pilates, then consider checking out this resource. It could help you get started with your new favorite form of exercise.
13. Play a Game
Who says that working out as a family has to involve taking classes or even following exercise routines? It doesn’t.
You can play fun games like Twister or Red Light, Green Light to get your whole family moving. Here is a wonderful kid-friendly work out video by Fitness Blender. It is free and offers great ideas to get your kids moving at home.
14. Go for a Swim
My kids love the water. So when they have the opportunity to swim, they are all happy about it. If you have a pool at home or even a public pool, take advantage of it.
Also, consider signing up with a local YMCA where they have both indoor and outdoor pools, so you could swim year-round as a great form of family exercise. Plus, your kids can learn to swim too, which is an invaluable skill to have.
15. Head Out on the Kayak or Canoe
In our area, going kayaking or canoeing is a big thing. When we go down to the local river to fish during the summer months, you’ll constantly see people coming in and out of the water with kayaks or canoes.
If you love the water and would love to be able to explore nature around you, then consider renting a kayak or even buying a kayak or canoe, so you can get out on the water.
Well, those are my tips on how to get your family into a regular workout routine together, and some fun forms of family exercise too.
