How to Get Your Family Moving
By Sandy Schroeder
As we move through the year, there will are sure to be more challenges, but it will be important to stay fit. If you are concerned about keeping your family healthy, you may have to be creative to get your kids off of their screens.
Spend some time forming a strategy. Consider the activities they prefer and the things that will motivate them. Then call a family meeting and let them put together the details. They may want to practice soccer, shoot hoops or swim with their friends. You may want to hike or bike. Make room for everybody's choices and get the equipment needed.
Set up practice areas - If you have the room set everything up to shoot hoops, play volleyball or practice soccer.
Create a regular Saturday run - Reserve Saturday mornings to run to the park or hit the nearest bike trails. Then finish up with a barbecue in the park.
Walk everywhere - Do your homework and plan wilderness or nature hikes for the whole family.
Branch out with watersports - Swim, sail or fish and make a day of it.
Match up buddies - To keep everybody motivated pair up each person with a buddy for walks or runs.
Learn a new sport - Moms, dads and kids can all take community classes to improve a golf game, learn tennis or join a volleyball or soccer team.
Award prizes - Keep weekly family meetings going to chart progress and reward effort with ice cream, hats, shirts and shoes.
Exercise Backup
To help everybody do their best, find ways to work in daily exercise. Shoot for strength, flexibility and endurance routines.
- Run before breakfast
- Walk after dinner
- Bike on the weekends
- Plan a few campouts
- Lift weights or do yoga
- Include a tai chi class
- Add a bike or treadmill to the family room
Follow Up With Food
If you are doing it right, everybody will be hungry too. Focus on family favorites that are healthy and add lots of fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, fish, poultry and whole grains. Wrap up your outings with family dinners with black bean or shrimp tacos, veggie lasagna, and grilled salmon.
Don't Forget Checkups
Before you get started, schedule checkups for everybody in the family to check weight, blood pressure, and overall fitness. Get diet and exercise guidelines too.
Every family is different but with a little practice we can all enjoy the process as we upgrade our health.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Chula Vista, Calif.