Exercise and getting more active tops the majority of Americans New Year’s resolution lists. It definitely makes sense. It seems that from Thanksgiving to Christmas you constantly gorge on cookies and heavy foods, and by January you are ready for a system reset. Hitting the gym may seem like a good idea in the abstract, actually finding the time to go can be more difficulty. Between juggling kids, a job, and normal adult duties (which are sometimes the worst!) there is really no time left in the day to hit the treadmill. If you need 30 hours in your typical day to get everything done on your to-do list, then exercising is sometimes the easiest thing to get neglected. However, this is the worst thing you can do! When you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed, a quick workout is the best way to lift your mood and get you re-centered. But wait – you have kids that you have to watch and that makes it nearly impossible to work out. False! Get your kids involved and break a sweat together. Encouraging a healthy lifestyle is not something that needs to begin in adulthood. Getting your kids moving in nontraditional ways is a great way to encourage an active life. Below are the top five ideas on how to uphold that New Year’s resolution while secretly getting the whole family on board!
Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt
It’s all about the marketing here. An easy way to get kids to lace up their tennis shoes and hit the pavement with you is to make it a game. Come up with a list of things to look for in your neighborhood – the more abstract the better – and vow not to come home until the whole list is complete. A house with a red door or a cat in a window are all easy things that be added to this list. If you have really little ones, strap them in the stroller and encourage them to play along. This is a great way for them to learn colors, objects, and numbers. Crank up you mileage by picking landmarks that are further from home. Just like adults, over time kids too will build up their walking endurance.
Screen time Sprints
Do you battle the screen time limits at home like I do? To help break up the monotony of sitting and watching TV encourage your child to join you in quick tabata-like exercises on commercial breaks. The key is to go all out for the 4 minute break in programming. You could even make it a competition. How many jumping jacks can you do in the first 45 second? How many pushups? Or can you hold a plank for the entire length of the commercial break?
Dance ‘Til You Drop
Remember in college when you used to go out dancing and would come back wiped? Dancing is a great workout. While hitting a club is most likely not going to be happening with the under 10 set, why not crank up the tunes and create a dance floor in your living room. Pick high energy music and dance wildly for 15-20 minutes. You will be shocked to feel your heartrate rise and beads of sweat form on your brow. Not only will you get a short workout in, you will create fun, lasting memories with your kids. You may also learn what the “cool kids” are listening to these days.
Get Active with Gaming
Many gaming systems like Wii have games that encourage you to get out of your seat and play sports or dance. These systems sense body movements and what you do it portrayed on the screen via a character. While this is a great way to incorporate kids into a workout, be prepared for them to be much better than you at the game!
Get Creative
Don’t let the cold be a barrier to exercising. Grab the kids and head to an indoor pool for a day of fun. Swimming doesn’t have to be reserved for outdoor pools in the summer. In addition, winter swimming is a great way to reinforce skills learned in months past.
Don’t let your kids be a reason that you don’t meet your goals for 2017. Encourage the whole family to get involved and make next year the healthiest yet!
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