The Best Exercises To Do With Your Entire Family

The Cleveland Clinic reports that about 80% of American adults and children aren’t getting adequate exercise for optimal health. This statistic is hardly surprising, given that many parents are too caught up in their professional lives with no room for physical activity. Similarly, children are constantly glued to screens when they are not sitting in class or sleeping. Therefore, it is prudent to be intentional about your entire family’s health to ensure that everyone gets enough exercise for better living. Here are some great exercises you can engage in with your entire family.

Take a good old walk

Walks are one of the easiest and best ways to get your entire family moving. The benefits of walking are plentiful, from lowering blood pressure to strengthening your bones and muscles. In addition, it is inexpensive to engage in and doesn’t need any special skills or equipment. Also, you can pretty much walk anywhere, so it is the perfect activity to engage in if everyone complains about never finding time for exercise. These walks present great opportunities to disconnect from screens, deepen bonds with one another, and enjoy some fresh air. You can make fun family walks by counting particular objects on your routes, like vehicles or trees. Additionally, you can collect natural treasures on your walk or go on scavenger hunts to keep the walk lively.

Swimming

Swimming is also one of the most family-friendly exercises to engage in. There are many great places to swim, from lakes to rivers and pools. However, swimming will provide a complete body workout for everyone, irrespective of where you decide to swim. This activity has several benefits, including boosting energy levels, building cardiovascular fitness, muscle toning, and reducing risks for many diseases. However, many experts recommend being extra vigilant when your kids are around water, even if they know how to swim. If your kid is new to this activity and is overly apprehensive, you may be wondering how to help a child overcome fear of swimming. You can help your children overcome this fear by swimming alongside them, cheering them on, and going for consistent swimming lessons. You can also let them splash around in the water at home under supervision between lessons to help them become familiar with water.

Hiking

If you are a nature-loving family, exploring hiking trails can be ideal for spending time outdoors together while getting a collective workout. Hiking has several physical, social, and character development benefits for children. For example, hiking lowers the likelihood of childhood obesity, enhances muscle growth, and provides more opportunities for motor skills development than a traditional playground. Also, hiking teaches children group cooperation, helps them spend quality time with parents, and offers opportunities for peer bonding. Your children are also likely to gain an appreciation for the environment, develop initiative, and increase mindfulness through hiking. As parents, you can equally enjoy several benefits from being outdoors, including better sleep, improved immunity, and greater life satisfaction. You can start hiking by asking for local recommendations or researching them online. Additionally, remember to make family hiking fun by packing lots of snacks, planning adventures together, and letting the children set the pace. 

Go for a bike ride

A YouGov survey revealed that only 6% of Americans don’t know how to ride bikes. Therefore, it is highly likely that everyone in your family can ride one, making it an excellent exercise to try together. If you have very young children who can’t ride, you can teach them how to ride by buying a right-sized balance bike and finding a safe practice spot. Then, help them gain balance as they start pedaling till they are experienced enough to go off solo. Once everyone can hold their own on two wheels, it’s time to turn your attention to safety measures and the road rules before heading out. USA Cycling recommends that cyclists think ahead, remain conspicuous, be predictable, and ride with traffic. Also, wear helmets to remain safe in case there is an accident. Additionally, remember that biking as a family is for the fun of it and not about endurance or speed. Therefore, choose standard terrain, go at the same pace, and stop as often as required for snacks and rest.

Jump rope

Many people have fond memories of jumping ropes during their grade school years. This great exercise remains a popular thing to engage in these days, and you get to share the fun with your family. According to WebMD, jumping rope is a great calorie-burner and excellent for cardiovascular health. You only need great jump ropes to get started, and you can get these in various styles and colors. It may also be best to invest in comfortable shoes and clothes for this exercise. The great thing about jump rope is that you can do it anywhere, whether in your backyard or at the park. Also, everyone can start small and eventually start developing advanced skills like double unders, crisscrosses, and backward jumping. However, jumping rope can place significant stress on the hips, ankles, and knees, so it would help to be very cautious to avoid any injuries. You can lower the chances of anyone getting injured by insisting on resting for 30 seconds after jumping for 30 seconds. Once you can do this comfortably, you can slowly increase your interval length and spend more time jumping rope.

Dance together

Dancing is the perfect blend of fun and exercise, so engaging in it together can be a real blast. According to Healthline, dancing can boost cardiovascular health, cognitive skills, and balance. It can also lift moods and give a perfect platform for everyone to participate. You can engage in dancing together by selecting music with a catchy beat and allowing your children to choose their favorite tunes. In addition, consider introducing role-playing to spice things up. Furthermore, you can even play dance games like Just Dance if you still own a Nintendo Wii. Another great option is to take dance classes together online or at nearby community centers, studios, and gyms.

Yoga

Yoga is beneficial to kids and adults alike, can be done anywhere, and requires little equipment. It can be an essential part of your treatment if you are recovering from surgery or experiencing illness. Yoga can also boost your mood, make sleep more enjoyable, assist in weight reduction, and increase muscle strength and tone. You may already be familiar with Yoga, but it takes some work to introduce your kids to this ancient practice. For starters, find the appropriate time and place to introduce Yoga to your kids. Then, teach them age-appropriate poses like easy sitting, half lotus, and tree poses. However, remember that family Yoga is about having fun while moving, not achieving perfect poses, so entertain variation as much as possible. Also, remember to feed their curiosity, teach breathing skills, and practice well to be a perfect example.

Run around a track

Running on a track is the perfect exercise to consider if you enjoy running, but your children can’t keep up, or vice versa. Track running ensures that everyone goes at their own pace. In addition, it allows you to keep a watchful eye on children while working out. Family members who get tired can simply go to the center of the field to relax, play, or stretch until everyone is finished. You can take turns at the track to count laps or assign one person to count for everyone. Also, you can use apps to monitor distance and time to observe improvements.