It won’t be long before June 8, when Family Fitness Day arrives, so make sure you and your family will be ready. Fitness and physical activity play a big part in your overall health and well-being, so this is a great day to get all your loved ones involved.

It is always more fun to get fit with others, so make fitness a family affair and make Family Fitness Day a fun, outdoors one this year.

Fitness Fun for the Whole Family

The purpose behind Family Fitness Day is to encourage families to get out together and get fit. Parks and recreational areas all take part and support the celebration.

Agencies all over encourage families to go to parks or recreational centers to take part in health-inspired events. Members of local healthcare agencies also take part and show up as sponsors to encourage families to get fit and have fun.

So what are some good ideas for celebrating with the family?

1. Go Exploring

Research the local parks and recreational areas in your town. Find one that interests the whole family and make a date. Go hiking on trails, or wandering through parks or forests. You can even visit botanical gardens or the local beaches. So long as you are walking, you are promoting fitness. If the parks or beaches allow for it, play a few games to keep things fun and interesting.

2. Crank Up the Music

Let everyone take turns putting on their favorite tunes and let the family dance. Whoever is in charge of the music can show the others how to do dance moves of their choice. Or you can play musical games. The best part about dancing is that it can be done anytime and anywhere. Take the music outdoors if the weather is nice and boogie in nature.

3. Go for a Swim

Take a trip to your local beach or the pool of there is no seaside nearby. Swimming is a great form of exercising and is fun. You can have races or relays as well as host your own aquatic aerobics classes. Play games in the water or take turns swimming laps. Regardless of the water activity, what matters is that you and your family are having fun and getting fit.

4. Go for a Ride

Not in the car, but on your bikes. The same outdoor adventures you have walking can be enjoyed by bike too. Cycle through parks or explore nearby trails through the wilderness. Even just cycling through the town or along a river offers fitness and great views. Make a day of it and bring a picnic so you can stop at your favorite park for food and fun.

5. Find a Charity Event

Many agencies organize events for Family Fitness Day, such as small marathons. In many cases, the events are used to raise money for local charities. Research what is in your area and sign the whole family up to take part. You do your part for fitness and a local charity.

6. Commercials Mean Exercise

Having a rule that TV commercials means fitness is a great idea to keep kids from becoming couch potatoes. Every time the commercials are on, you need to be doing a physical activity of some kind.

Whether you choose sit-ups, push-ups, jumping jacks, or jogging in place, the idea is to get moving while your show is off screen. For kids, this can be made into a competition, where they each challenge the others to a fitness goal during the breaks.

7. Weekly Sports Night

Designate one night of the week to be for sports. Not watching a sports game on the television, but the whole family taking part in fitness together.

Make a deck of cards, each with a different activity on them; every sports night, a new card is picked. This allows for a variety of activities to prevent boredom, and promotes togetherness as well as fitness.

8. Sneak In Fitness

There are several things you can change up in your regular routine to add fitness for the kids. When you go to the store, deliberately park farther away, so more walking is involved, and always take stairs instead of escalators.

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Even when it comes to chores, if you make them like games, more will get done, which keeps the kids moving. For example, raking leaves becomes more fun when you make it a competition to see who can get the most of a certain color of leaf. This actually ends up being fun for adults too.

9. Everybody Walks the Dog

Rather than having one person walking the dog each day, have the whole family take part. You can spend the time discussing the day, which builds positive family bonds. Plus, you all get a nice workout along with the dog. It can be easy to make every walk more enjoyable too.

10. Garden as a Team

Gardening is a great way to stay active and get some fresh air and sunshine. Everyone in the family can benefit from this, so get everyone together for gardening.

Kids love digging in dirt so let them do the tilling while you do the planting. When the sprinklers are running, play games trying to avoid the water, or between planting bulbs have small relay races.

The Bottom Line

A good diet will only go so far in keeping you healthy. Fitness plays an integral role in keeping you healthy and promoting longevity. Fitness can be fun, especially when the whole family is involved. Fitness can be done in groups, so there is support and motivation for all. When you encourage the family to participate in Family Fitness Day, you promote good health for all. Let this year be the year, the family starts and stays fit together.

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