Go Out & Play: Good for Them & Good for You
Kelly Bolsch, February 24th 2021
Who says adults can’t play too?
When a lot of adults think about exercise, many immediately think of going to the gym, lifting weights, or going for long runs. When a lot of kids think about exercise, many think of playing games with their friends, riding bikes around town, or even playing on the jungle gym at school. Sometimes kids don’t even realize that the games they are playing are exercises! So if there are exercises for kids, why can’t there be exercises for adults too!
Sometimes it may be hard for parents to juggle going to work, taking care of their kids, spending time with their family, AND focusing on their own physical health. Sometimes parents may have to choose certain activities over others in order to fit it all into one day. BUT, what if we were to combine exercise with spending time with our families? We can do this in so many ways — and each way is both physically exerting while also allowing quality time to be spent with the entire family!
Here are some quick & easy, yet FUN & ACTIVE games for the ENTIRE family: ∙ Scavenger hunt ~~ make a list of things around your house, yard, or neighborhood and go get scavenging! Encourage walking or riding your bikes around the neighborhood to find each object to make the game more active!
** If you want to make it more competitive, split your family into teams and see which team can find all the objects first!
∙ Follow the leader ~~ have your kids be the exercise leader of the day! Let them pick the game or activity the family does that day and everyone else must follow in their lead
∙ Duck, Duck, Goose ~~ a CLASSIC !! a silly yet physically exerting game that gets everyone playing on their feet, involved, and moving!
∙ TAG ~~ another CLASSIC !! another game that gets everyone playing, laughing, running, moving, and all together having a grand ole time
∙ Dance Party ~~ another great way to get the entire family exercising but also being able to spend time together is a good old fashioned dance party!! Play you and your kid’s favorite songs and just get grooving!! Feel free to create your own new family dance moves (don’t be afraid to get creative)
Exercise is so important for the proper development of kids. It is recommended that toddlers get atleast 60-120 minutes of physical activity / play time each day whereas kids and teenagers should get an average of 60 minutes of exercise every day. Adults are encouraged to get at least 150minutes of physical activity each week, with a mixture of both moderate and vigorous intensities.
By combining this exercise time in with family bonding time you are promoting a healthy lifestyle for both you and your kids! If you promote this type of healthy, active, and fun life, then you are setting such a positive tone for your kids and their futures.
Lead by example. If you embrace these activities and routines into your daily life, then I am sure your kids will embrace them too! These types of activities incorporate both physical activity and spending time with your family. They get everyone involved, moving, and most of all having fun – and what’s better than that!
So, go out and play, because it’s good for THEM and good for YOU <3
“Family, nature, and health all go together”
Olivia newton-john
Check out the link below for a fun Family Cardio Workout!
Transformer Kelly 🙂
The Transform Lifestyle Medicine Alliance Team
Transformer – Kelly Bolsch
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