How to Make Exercise Fun for the Whole Family

*This is a collaborative post.

We all know that exercise is vital for good physical and mental health. For kids, getting into good exercise habits early can stand them in good stead later in life and improve their health as they grow. But how can you, as a family, incorporate exercise into your busy lives and make exercise fun for everyone?

Working Out Together

Encouraging kids to work out in their own time is probably not the best idea. For a start, they may well not bother. Further, they’re likely to resent the intrusion on their time, which could foster negative associations with exercise that won’t help their health later in life. But if you schedule exercise sessions for family time, you can create a fun, bonding experience that’s a lot less likely to cause resentment. Bring out the good shorts for running and decent workout shoes and head to a park for a family run, or play a ball game together, or even go swimming at a local pool. It’s all good family time and fun, and it’s great for health and fitness.

Transform Everyday Activities 

If your schedule doesn’t allow for regularly set workout times, don’t worry. Exercise can be flexible and fit neatly into your everyday activities. For instance, gardening can be a good full-body exercise if tackled with enough vigour. Even cleaning the house can be a great way to burn calories. Of course, turning chores into exercise regimes may not be popular with your kids, but you can encourage them to enjoy more active pursuits in their leisure time. For example, if your kids are young enough to enjoy playing in the garden, give them plenty of outdoor playtime – you’d be surprised at how good simply running around together and playing can be for kids’ fitness. You could even bribe your kids by giving them the option to swap household chores for exercise – for example, ‘For this week’s chore, you could do the hoovering, or you could do a kids workout from YouTube’. 

Fun-Filled Physical Games 

Games are supposed to be fun, and when you’re having fun, you’re a lot less likely to feel like exercise is a burden. So, why not set up some games that incorporate fitness? For example, you could try creating a family sports day with old-school games like egg-and-spoon racing, tug-of-war, sack races, and so on. These are fun and funny to watch, and they get the blood pumping at the same time. Table tennis, badminton, or football in the park can also be great choices.

Take the Fitness Outdoors

With outdoor activities, you can easily combine exercise and sightseeing. Hiking, for example, lets you explore the local countryside while keeping active (and you can maybe pop into a nice country pub for a lunch en route). Cycling trips are also a fantastic way to discover the area and spend time together as a family. Then there’s camping, which can provide a lot of opportunities for physical activities – setting the tent up, gathering firewood, and so on.

Set Achievable Goals 

Setting goals can be very motivating for everyone, including the kids! A healthy element of competition can also help. But do be sure to be realistic, and not to make things too competitive. You don’t want anyone to push themselves too far, to develop a complex about exercise, or to feel like a ‘loser’ at any point. Remember, the main goal is to get your family into fitness in the long term. The short-term goals and competitions are a means to this end, so they shouldn’t make anyone feel left out or inferior. 

Change your Family’s Perspective On Exercise

Making exercise fun for the whole family requires a shift in perspective. See it as an opportunity for fun, laughter and togetherness. Remember, the goal is not just to maintain physical fitness, but also to strengthen the familial bond. With a little creativity, you can turn physical activity into a joyous family event that everyone looks forward to.