When it comes to health and fitness, not everyone is up to the challenge of maintaining a routine or schedule for themselves, let alone trying to keep one for the entire family.
So instead of having the mind set of a vigorous workout that needs to be done, which can make it appear as an obligation or lacking fun time, hopefully I can help you find ways to make it enjoyable and relaxing whenever possible.
Instructions
Step
1
Some families already maintain an exercise routine in which everyone is accustomed to heading to a local gym, swimming, walking or hiking, going on bike rides or even skating at a local rink.
For others, finding time to cook a complete meal or sit down and enjoy a movie with the family can be a hard task to accomplish on a daily basis. Trying to set up an exercise routine for a family can get a bit overwhelming when everyone may seem to have different schedules. But one thing found in common would be that we all want our families to be not only happy but also as fit and healthy as possible.
Step
2
Taking into account the activities that your family currently participates in now is the first step, especially if it is something that happens on a daily basis, ie, riding bikes with friends after homework/chores are done, or taking a walk to their friends house, etc…. Once you get an idea of what activities are going on regularly, you can combine this into a great exercise routine while enjoying some time with your family.
Exercising does not have to be a strenuous activity or viewed as not being fun or relaxing.
Step
3
While making plans for a day in the park or a beach, plan a sort of treasure hunt. First you should designate a judge of sort for final decisions should questions arise. Include items in which the seekers will have to do a bit of climbing, crawling and a little bit of stretching, such as locating a specifically shaped rock, branch or shell. If there is something in the shell and/or the branch is still attached to the tree, have them draw something as close to what it looks like, or call it to the attention of the judge. In case there was a question, yes, my daughter walked around for about 10 minutes with a small hermit-like crab in her bag of treasures.
You can also use the park or the beach for a nice walk or stroll. Whether your running at mach 5 or taking your time leisurely walking up a small hill, you will eventually make it to the top. If the kids are wearing themselves out too quickly, turn the stroll into something that they will more than likely slow down for. Such as having them start at a specific spot, from heel to toe, count how many steps it takes to get to another spot of that hill.
If treasure hunts and short strolls are not your thing, or do not seem to be working, having the use of a Frisbee or small football can create quite the workout. Keep from throwing either of these items too far out as those having to fetch them could possibly loose interest rather quickly.
Step
4
Make sure to keep plenty of fluids available for those to drink to avoid dehydration. It can be very easy for children to get overly excited about an event, thus taking sips from water or juice occasionally. When possible, stop an activity and plan for a picnic lunch under trees or in an area that provides shade. Keeping on hand plenty of snacks and fruits for munching during the days events.
If possible, invest in personal misters, water guns, water balloons or just spray bottles. During the heat of the day, these can also assist in keeping the participants cool.
Step
5
When it comes to activities, whether exercising or just having a nice stroll around the block, your family doesn’t have to be gym guru’s to say fit and healthy. Just remember to take into consideration the ability of what type of physical activities are able to be performed by your family members. Some may be able to bound up a slight hill, while others are limited to reaching only a portion of that hill. Keep the activities fun and inventive by including input of things to do from everyone in the family, but with the highest priority of safety first. Try to use the idea’s added from your family during some of these outings. Whether it turns out the family is on a treasure hunt for Barbies lost pink heel or the perfect rock that is in the shape of a guitar, including the idea’s of others in an activity will make them more apt to participating on a regular basis and/or become more inventive for future outings.
Step
6
When the weather starts to warm up, we tend to forget to take frequent drinks or breaks during our activities. A deceiving concern is heat stroke. You may find your family at a beach, lake or swimming pool thinking that because they are in and out of the water constantly, every thing is okay.
Tips & Warnings
- Depending on your activity, dress appropriately. If you find yourself in wooded/grassy areas, protect yourself and your family against the common issue’s such as ticks, snakes, etc….
- Try to keep the activities to a minimum, over thinking or adding to much stuff in one day can get tiring and sometimes stressful.
- Plan according to where you are going to be. If at a park or beach, have plenty of blankets, outdoor activities, drawing tablets and colored pencils or pens, shade awnings or large umbrella’s, etc…
- If you are experiencing or notice someone around you exhibiting any of the above related symptoms in Step 6, a fast acting response can make a huge difference.
- Dial 9-1-1 Fast
- Even when you find yourself questioning the symptom or whether it’s an over-reaction, it’s always better to be on the safe side.
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For more information about fitness training please visit our Lakewood kettlebell classes website.
