WANT EVEN MORE HEALTHY IDEAS FROM SHAPE YOUR FUTURE?
When it comes to health, parents are their kids’ biggest role models — with eating patterns and exercise. Leading your family to become more physically active is endlessly rewarding. You’ll create lifelong memories while forming life-changing habits.
However, many kids think of exercise as a chore, like scrubbing the bathroom floor or doing the dishes. It doesn’t have to be this way! After just a few tweaks, you’ll be moving as a whole family in no time!
It’s a fact that regular exercise plays a crucial role in keeping kids healthy. Here are a few benefits:
- Improved focus and energy levels
- Properly developing young bodies and muscles
- Better sleep
- Decreased symptoms of anxiety, depression and loneliness
- Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes
Now that you know how exercise can benefit your kids, let’s look at some ways to un-chore — and un-bore — physical activity!
- Be a model of movement. As a parent, you set the standard in the eyes of your kids. When you stay active throughout the day, they notice! Prioritizing exercise and physical activity will inspire a lifetime of movement.
- Change your mindset. Bodies in motion tend to stay in motion. Forming an exercise habit is like getting a locomotive rolling. It’s slow at first (and that’s okay), but once you’ve built momentum, it’s easier to keep moving.
- Take a stroll in nature’s classroom. Hiking is a great way to get moving and take in the scenery. Collect native leaves and identify critters out on the trail!
- Is the family to-do list full of mundane tasks? Make it a competition! Raking leaves? See who can make the biggest pile. Same for picking up sticks or pulling weeds. A little competition transforms any chore into a good time!
- Try sports that require minimal equipment:
- Soccer
- Basketball
- Football catch
- Frisbee golf
- Transportation station: Try walking or biking with the kids to school or to the store! Early human-powered transit can inspire a lifetime of movement.
- Incorporate family walks either before or after dinner.
- While watching TV, get moving in between episodes or during commercials. Try jumping jacks or lunges!
See? Making moves is fun and can have a lasting impact on the quality of your family’s health — and it creates unforgettable memories. Can’t wait to get started? Explore more of our family-friendly exercise tips and activities!