The holidays are upon on us which can mean more food, more family, and less time in the day to be active outside…and the kids are out of school. This adds an extra level of difficulty to the whole exercise idea. It’s important to continue to encourage kids to stay active and healthy no matter what time of year. So what should you do?
It is important to make exercise enjoyable otherwise no one will want to do it. This is a great way to spend time together, boost self esteem, and get your teen to talk! Most gyms allow kids to exercise in the facility around age 13. However, if your unable to make it to the gym with your kids, I have put together a very effective and fun 20 minute in home workout that can be done by everyone in the family.
Below are just a few exercises you can do in your home (for more ideas go to my website). To add an element of fun to the family workout, use a deck of cards to determine the number of repetitions every person will perform for each exercise listed below. Aces count as 11 and face cards count as 10. Every family member should take three turns at all five exercises. Preform these exercises 3-4 times a week.
1) Push ups
2) Squats
3) Tricep dips on a chair
4) In place lunges
5) Crunches
Finally, have each person rate their exercise time for the week which will encourage everyone to stay active. Each week, measure your fitness levels to determine your family’s overall fitness average. Add each person’s own calculation of their level of fitness for the week; zero meaning they did nothing, and 7 meaning they exercised daily. Divide the total by the number of family members. Set a goal to average at least a 5 or 6 each week, rewarding the entire family if it’s met (reward should be agreed on by every participating member).