5 Ideas for Fun Family Movement

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, I said to my son, “Grab the dogs’ leashes and let’s take them for a walk”.  I was met with moans and groans and “do I have to?”. Apparently, this 15 minute walk was going to destroy him. 

The excuses continued with, “my legs are sore, I need to rest today,” to which I replied that a nice walk would loosen them up.  He claimed I didn’t know what I was talking about. My 20 years of experience as a physical therapist means nothing in my 12 year old’s mind.  Nonetheless, we went on that walk. 

Do you know what happened?

The complaints came to an end. We talked about school and football and something elaborate he is building in Minecraft.  We laughed at our dogs antics, and ended up walking further than we had planned.  We returned home in a better mood, and I didn’t hear anything about those sore legs again.  The mental reset and energy boost made this movement habit worthy. 

In these days of drive through meals, computer work, and digital entertainment, 80% of adolescents are not meeting the recommended movement requirements set by the World Health Organization. Families need to work together for movement more – starting with our youngest ones and continuing into the teen years.

This tends to hit especially hard during the shorter, colder days of winter in our homes. Movement is a key component to beating those winter blues. As parents, it is our responsibility to teach our kids the importance of taking care of our physical body, and our mental health as well.

We know that more is caught than taught, so moving as a family will help us all make it a priority. In fact, exercising with a parent is proven in research to develop children who will grow up with this healthy practice deeply ingrained. In addition, when your family shares time together, regardless of the activity, it also secures and reinforces emotional bonds that yield endless health benefits. Busy cannot be an excuse, because it doesn’t have to be a big time commitment.

Family fitness is always going to more effective if it is fun, so be creative and resourceful when it comes to the activities you plan. The number one key though is planning. We have to be intentional about making movement a non-negotiable habit for ourselves, or our kids will surely whine their way out of it.

Here are 5 ways you can have fun moving more with your family:

1. Bike Riding
If your bicycles are gathering dust in the garage or shed, get them cleaned and tuned up. Then, plan a family bike ride on the Greenline. If you have smaller children that need to tag along, you can rent bikes and trailers at Shelby Farms Park.

2. Yoga or Tai Chi
It’s nice to have some ideas for indoor fitness activities in case of a rainy or frigid day. YouTube provides an endless supply of yoga and tai chi options for a variety of skill levels. Start with short sessions to keep the interest of young kids. Don’t worry if you aren’t very flexible; the kids will enjoy it more if they can laugh at you. 

3. Dance Party
One of the most enjoyable fitness activities to do with your kids is dancing. After all, who doesn’t love a party? Turn up the music and get moving in the kitchen or while cleaning up. Older kids may even be interested in trying some salsa lessons or a hip hop dance class together.

4. Family Zoo Trip
An afternoon spent walking the The Memphis Zoo is a great way to do more moving and less sitting. Give your kids the map to navigate to their favorite animals. You can even throw in a few, “I’ll race you to the giraffes,” to get their heart rates up.

5. Outdoor Obstacle Course
Build a backyard fitness challenge with simple objects like hula hoops, cones, ladders, chalk, or rope. No equipment is required for crab walks or bear crawls that may be a bigger challenge for the adults. Time each other to see who completes the course the fastest.

The goal is to demonstrate that fitness is fun, challenging, and invigorating. We all know that forcing our kids to exercise results in resistance, so help them develop their own real excitement about staying active. The younger they are, the better! I know first hand that it isn’t always easy, but I am sure it is worth it because these habits will endure for life.