Finding time to squeeze in exercise during the week when you are busy taking care of the family and your home can be difficult to do. Why not incorporate family together time with exercise time? You get the best of both worlds! That’s what Family Fitness is all about.
I absolutely have a passion for family fitness. It’s one of my favorite things to do. What is family fitness? Well, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Doing some form of exercise activity while involving the family.
We all know quality family time is so important for to having a healthy family relationship and for healthy emotional development in your children. Add in some cardio, and you have the perfect mix for creating the best ultimate family activity.
If you are looking for something new to do together as a family, I want to encourage you to think outside the box with me.
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.
Think of some really fun, adventurous, nature driven places near you….
Is there a place like this near you that you have been wanting to explore but you just haven’t had the time to get there? Maybe you have a favorite place that you visited a lot when you were younger but since having kids you haven’t even considered packing up all the kids to go check it out again?
Well, now’s the time! Look at your calendar, pick a date, check the GPS, see how long it takes to drive there, tell your husband and make sure he’s on board and let’s plan this family fun day of adventure!
Where are you going to go?
I went to West Virginia! Our random spot that we ended up at in West Virginia was called Big Bend. We were driving to a place called Smoke Hole Caverns in West Virginia and on our way there we saw this beautiful spot on the side of the road.
While driving we made a mental note as to how far we were away from our destination. This way when we came home we knew where to stop and we didn’t drive past it.
When we got there, we parked along the side of the road. I was rather hesitant to get out the car since the speed limit on the road was 45 mph and I had to get all 4 of my little girls out on that busy street.
My husband reassured me that everything would be ok and we would be able to make it down to the stream safely. I trusted him and on our way we went!
Four little girls, ages 7 months to 5 years, slowly trickled out of the van and over the bank to head down to this beautiful shore line of Big Bend’s river.
Just Go For It!
The weather was brisk and the girls were not dressed appropriately for hiking along a rocky shore but we did it, and I am so glad we did.
We had the best time that day. Together as a family we enjoyed the peace of no distractions from our phones and no pressure to be anywhere at a certain time. We were able to just enjoy family time in God’s beautiful creation.
The girls had fun stacking these perfectly smooth, yet flat rocks. They stacked these rocks over and over and over again to make the coolest rock pyramids.What do you think? I think they look pretty amazing!
After taking some time hiking around the area, jumping and leaping from rock to rock, we then settled on one particular place to skip rocks. How could we be surrounded by so many rocks and not teach our little girls how to skip rocks?
I don’t know exactly how long we skipped rocks for but it was long enough that our girls eventually got tired from all the throwing. They had a blast. Rock after rock splashing in the water, the girls giggling and everyone having so much fun-the perfect day to spend together as a family.
All You Need To Do Is Get Outside
Not once on this adventure in West Virginia did we ever talk about fitness, exercise, cardio, lifting weights, etc. We just had fun. Getting the family outside and moving around is all you need to do. It’s that simple.
It’s highly unlikely when you take your kids outside and explore nature that they will sit and do nothing. Your kid will appreciate so much the opportunity you gave them to go somewhere new and somewhere that involves nature. Even if you are outside for just one hour, that’s enough time for your kid to really make a lasting memory with you.
Family Fitness Challenge: Exploring A New Place
1. Go Outside:
For this family fitness adventure I am encouraging you to spend the day outside, hiking, exploring, sightseeing, talking, laughing, connecting and bonding with your family. As long as you are not sitting and doing nothing, you are bound to get some cardio incorporated into your time together when you’re outside.
2. Change The Terrain:
Being outside provides you with endless opportunities to incorporate fitness into you plans. Try finding a place with uneven terrain. Rocks, dirt roads, hills, gravel and steps are just some examples of uneven terrain that will make your adventure a little more strenuous.
3. Increase Your Speed:
You can also incorporate increasing the speed at which you walk. If you are really looking to challenge your family, try intervals of running and brisk walking when you are going from one place to the other.
4. Increase The Time:
If your schedule allows, find a day when you can spend a large chunk of time together as a family. Maybe make a day trip out of it and go somewhere a little farther away from home. Depending on the age of your children, decide on how far you would want to walk or hike in a day. Over time during your family outings, try and “raise the bar” by gradually walking longer distances. This not only increases special time with your loved ones, but also indirectly works on improving their physical endurance.
5. Have Conversations:
Talk, talk and keep talking to your family. While you are outside exploring, try to talk to your family even during those strenuous moments when you feel out of breath. This really works on your pulmonary (lung) strength. I’m not just say to do this because it’s good for your lungs, but it’s also good for the mind.
Having conversations with your family opens up new doors of communication. These moments together as a family are important and form lasting memories for your children. The conversations you initiate with your kids are impactful and important for their development. Take advantage of the quality time you have together and open up to one another about anything and everything.
An Added Bonus-The “I SPY” Game
Something fun you can do when you are out exploring is playing this I SPY game together. This game is good for all ages, especially when you are in new surrounds. It’s hard for anyone to find some of these items in the outdoors.
Here is a FREE PRINTABLE you can take along with you on your family fitness adventure. Print one out for each member of the family and have fun trying to see who can be the first one to find each thing listed.
Keep Smiling,
Dr. Jena Bradley, DPT
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.
*It is important to always consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program and get medical clearance. Perform exercises at your own risk.
(Just A Cute Picture From Our Adventure Day.
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Thank you for this post! Fitness is always a challenge, but with family, you enjoy this much more. This takes a lot of stress out of the fitness routine.
Sukanya, I completely agree! Thanks for sharing!