Exercising as a family has lots of benefits. First it provides you with some great quality time together. Plus it shows your children that exercise can be fun and is a great way to instill some healthy habits into them. Too many children today spend so much time in front of computers and video games that they dont understand the benefits of getting some exercise.
Exercise doesnt have to be running and huffing and puffing around the gym. There are plenty of easy low impact exercises that can be done together. A couple that come to mind are walking, hiking, swimming and golfing. What better way to get outside with your family and have fun!
Just teaching your young child how to ride a bike or learn to skate is exercise! You are showing them how to be active and get some much needed fresh air.
Many parents put their children into baseball, soccer and even karate lessons, which is fine. But what is better is when both parents and children exercise together. So why not go on a family hike once a month?
To get your children into the habit of exercising you could allow them to pick the activity. It could be going on a mountain bike trail, ice skating, horseback riding, even going out to play miniature golf.
As with any exercise you want to make sure that your kids are wearing the correct type of clothing. This includes any protective clothing such as helmets, knee and elbow pads. If you are hiking then a good hiking boot is essential. You want to prevent injuries if at all possible.
Before you head out for the day or afternoon make sure that everyone has had the chance to warm up. This could be just doing a few jumping jacks or running on the spot for a couple of minutes. Even bending over to see who can touch their toes is a great warm up exercise that is fun for the family.
Make your chosen activity more enjoyable by taking along a camera and shooting a few pictures of your family outing. If you are hiking or walking you never know what animal, bird or unusual flower you might see.
Always go out prepared by having a small first aid kit in your car or better yet carry it along in a back pack. Hiking is a great way to teach your children how to read a map and use a compass. They wont even realize they are learning something new as theyll be having so much fun.
