1 hour of Physical Activity
Go outside and play.
You too, Mom and Dad.
We all know that exercise is good for us. Many of us really enjoy it, too. But what about the rest of us? Can physical activity be fun for everyone? Here are five simple steps to get you and your whole family active, each day.
- Schedule it in. Does an hour a day seem like a lot? Break the time up into smaller chunks, or set aside time before work, after school, or after dinner as your “active” time. Make exercise a priority, and soon you’ll wonder what you did without it!
- Find activities you enjoy. Physical activity comes in many forms: from karate to tennis to playing tag with the kids. Encourage each person in your family to pick activities they really enjoy. You could try getting really good at a sport, or you may have more fun mixing it up every day. The important thing is that you find a way to make physical activity fun.
- Be active with your kids. Make sure your kids see that you’re committed to physical activity—they’ll be more likely to see it as a valuable part of their lives, too. Whether you play a game of family soccer or you each do your own thing, let your children know that you’re following the same family rule that you’re holding them to.
- Make it convenient. The more prepared you are for physical activity, the easier it is. Keep workout clothes at work, as well as extra cosmetics. Store sports equipment within easy reach of the kids. Keep some fun workout DVDs on hand for rainy days. Plan ahead, and your daily physical activity will be more successful.
- Be creative. Look for extra opportunities to be physically active. Race up stairs with the kids instead of using the elevator. Rake leaves and jump in the pile. Do some vigorous housecleaning. All of these activities, and more, count toward your hour of physical activity every day.
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When you’re running errands, park a block away, or at the far end of the parking lot. There will be more spaces there, anyway!
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Make good use of weekends. A long family hike, a full afternoon at the pool or a morning playing at the gym will help make up for any time you lost during the week (but you should still be sure to be active every day!).
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Invest in a membership to a gym, or even a zoo, theme park or other area that will get you walking over large distances. If you commit to using it, this is a great way to make sure you’re physically active.
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Find new places to be active. Discover a new park, swimming pool, trail or even a neighborhood to bike around to add a little variety to your routine.
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Sign yourself or your kids up for classes. Karate, ballet and others are standard at community centers. If you want to branch out, look for classes that may range from rock climbing to sailing in your community.
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Encourage each family member to do activities that he or she enjoys. Not everyone has to lift weights or go jogging! With time and patience, everyone can find a couple physical activities to be excited about!
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Set up a chart to help everyone in the family chart their time. Use stickers for young kids to help them mark an hour. Older kids might enjoy recording the number of miles they biked, their basketball scores or new cheerleading cheers they learned.
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Support each family member’s physical activities by attending games, helping each other practice, or simply cheering each other on.
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Pick some sports and activities to be a spectator at to help everyone get excited about the benefits of physical activity. Buy season tickets to the local minor-league team, attend high-school football games, or get tickets to a ballet. Encourage kids to get excited about sports and other heroes that are physically active.
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Always be positive! It doesn’t matter whether your child can throw a ball or not—the most important thing is to actively try. If your child really wants to improve, practice with him or her, and make it fun.
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Help everyone in your family set physical activity goals, just for fun. For instance, if you run a mile in 12 minutes, try to improve to 10 minutes with a month of work. It’s okay if family members don’t reach their goals, but make sure to celebrate if they do!
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Volunteer for an organization that has you building houses, doing chores for the elderly or picking up trash. Not only will your family be engaging in physical activity, you’ll be helping a good cause!