Keeping a regular
exercise routine or engaging in physical activities has many benefits for your
mental health and physical health. I previously wrote a blog
post on Improving Your Health Status. Given this time of year many strive
to change their lifestyle and get healthier. For parents, changing your routine
or adding exercise may be more challenging. One way to decrease the challenge
is to make time for the entire family to be active.
Here are some ideas
to help your family be active together.
Make Time
- Identify free times. Keep track of your daily
activities for one week. Pick two 30-minute time slots you could use for
family activity time.
- Add physical activity to your daily routine.
For example, walk or ride your bike to work or a friend's house, walk the
dog with your children, exercise while you watch TV, or park farther away
from your destination.
- Try to walk, jog, or swim during your lunch
hour, or take fitness breaks instead of coffee breaks. Try doing something
active after dinner with your family, or on weekends.
- Check out activities requiring little time.
Try walking, jogging, or stair climbing.
Bring Others Into
It
- Ask friends and family to support your
efforts.
- Invite them to be active with you.
- Set up a party or other social event with
activities that get people moving, like dancing or having a jump rope
contest.
- Exercise with friends.
- Play with your kids or ask them to join you for an exercise video or fitness game.
- Develop new friendships with physically active people. Join a group, such as the YMCA or a hiking club.
Energize Yourself
- Plan to be active at times in the day or week
when you feel you have a lot of energy.
- Convince yourself that if you give it a
chance, physical activity will increase your energy level—then try it.
Stay Motivated
- Plan ahead. Make physical activity a regular
part of your family's schedule. Write it on a family activity calendar.
- Join an exercise group or class. Sign your
children up for community sports teams or lessons.
- Pick activities requiring no new skills, such
as walking or climbing stairs.
- Exercise with friends who are at the same
skill level as you are. Create opportunities for your children to be
active with friends.
Build New Skills
- Find a friend who can teach you new skills.
- Take a class to develop new skills and enroll
your children in classes too, such as swimming, dancing, or tennis.
Use Available
Resources
- Select activities that don't need costly
sports gear, such as walking, jogging, jumping rope, or doing push-ups.
- Identify cheap, local resources in your area,
such as programs through your community center, park or recreation group,
or worksite.
Make the Most of
All Conditions
- Develop a set of activities for you and your
family that are always available regardless of weather, such as indoor
cycling, indoor swimming, stair climbing, rope skipping, mall walking,
dancing, and active games that you can play indoors.
Copyright 2014 Erlanger A. Turner, Ph.D.
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