Easy Ways To Keep The Whole Family Active

 

Easy Ways To Keep The Whole Family Active

Getting everyone in the family to be a little more active sounds easy enough, but in reality it can be surprisingly difficult. As a mum in my thirties, I feel like we're constantly juggling work, school, meals, housework and everything else that somehow finds its way onto the weekly to-do list. Add phones, tablets, gaming and streaming into the mix, and getting everyone out of the house can sometimes feel like an achievement in itself.

I've realised, though, that being an active family doesn't have to mean joining a gym or signing the kids up for every sports club going. For us, it's much more about finding little opportunities to move more and, most importantly, making it something we actually enjoy doing together.

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Here are some of the ways I've found to make being active feel like a normal part of family life rather than another job that needs adding to my list.

Don't Call It Exercise

This might sound silly, but I've found that the way I suggest an activity makes a huge difference.

"Does anyone want to exercise?" isn't exactly greeted with cheers in our house.

"Shall we go for a bike ride?" sounds much better.

Children don't necessarily need to think about fitness or workouts. They just need opportunities to move. Going swimming, kicking a football around, riding scooters, walking the dog and running around the park are all ways of being active without making it feel like exercise.

The same is probably true for us adults as well.

I'd much rather spend an afternoon walking somewhere lovely than spend an hour staring at the clock on a treadmill.

Turn The Music Up

There are days when getting everyone outside simply isn't happening.

Maybe it's pouring with rain, you're waiting for a delivery or you've got a mountain of jobs to do at home.

Music is brilliant on those days.

We put on a playlist while we're cleaning or tidying and, before long, somebody is dancing. Then somebody else joins in and suddenly we've gone from putting the washing away to having a completely ridiculous kitchen disco.

It might not be conventional exercise, but we're moving and having fun.

Let everybody add songs to a family playlist. Just be prepared for a very strange mixture of music.

Get Out For A Walk

I think walking is one of the most underrated family activities.

It's free, you can do it almost anywhere and there's no need to book anything in advance. You can go for twenty minutes after dinner or turn it into an entire day out.

The problem, of course, is convincing children that going for a walk is actually fun.

With younger children, give them something to look for along the way. You could make a little scavenger hunt and see who can find a red flower, a feather, an interesting stone or a certain type of tree first.

With older children, having somewhere to actually walk to helps enormously.

A café works particularly well.

Funny that.

The National Trust has plenty of walking inspiration if you're looking for somewhere different to explore as a family.

Let The Kids Decide What You're Doing

As parents, we make decisions all day long.

What everyone's having for dinner. What time we're leaving. What needs washing. Who needs to be where and when.

So when it comes to family activities, sometimes it's nice to hand the decision over to the kids.

Give everyone a turn at choosing something active they'd like to do.

One child might choose swimming. Somebody else might want to play football in the park. Another might suggest bowling, cycling or roller skating.

You might end up doing something you wouldn't have chosen yourself, but that's part of the fun.

And if the children have picked the activity, there's slightly less chance of hearing, "This is boring!" five minutes after you've arrived.

I said slightly.

Try Something Completely New

One of my favourite ways to get everyone moving is to try something we've never done before.

There are so many possibilities depending on where you live and the ages of your children.

You could try climbing, paddleboarding, kayaking, badminton, tennis, skating or even something like an inflatable obstacle course.

The best part is when none of you knows what you're doing.

Children are used to being beginners. They're constantly learning new things at school and in everyday life, whereas adults can get quite comfortable sticking with things we already know.

I think it's good for children to see Mum and Dad attempting something new, getting it wrong, laughing and having another go.

You might discover a new family hobby in the process.

Make The Most Of Your Local Park

We sometimes overlook what's practically on our doorstep.

A trip to the local park costs nothing and can easily get everyone moving for an hour or two.

Take a football, frisbee or tennis rackets with you. If you've got younger children, join them in the playground rather than automatically heading for the nearest bench.

Admittedly, there comes a point when your children would rather you didn't join in because apparently Mum attempting the monkey bars is deeply embarrassing.

That's all the more reason to do it, surely?

The NHS has guidance on physical activity for children and young people if you'd like to know more about recommended activity levels for different ages.

Walk Instead Of Taking The Car

This is such a small change, but it's probably one of the easiest to make.

If somewhere is within walking distance and you've got enough time, leave the car at home.

Walk to the shop. Walk to school occasionally if that's practical for you. Walk to a friend's house or to the park.

It won't always work. Sometimes we're rushing around and getting everybody into the car is the only realistic option.

But those little journeys can add up over a week.

It's also a nice opportunity to chat. I've found that children sometimes tell you far more when you're walking alongside each other than when you sit down and actually ask them to talk.

Make A Family Activity Jar

If your weekends regularly start with everyone asking, "What are we doing today?", an activity jar can be really handy.

Get everyone to write down a few things they'd like to do and put the ideas in a jar.

They could be completely free activities such as:

• Go for a bike ride
• Play football in the park
• Have a dance competition
• Go for a woodland walk
• Play rounders
• Take the dog somewhere different
• Go on a nature hunt

You can also add activities that cost money, such as swimming, bowling or visiting a trampoline park.

When you've got a free afternoon, pick something from the jar.

It saves Mum having to come up with all the ideas too, which is definitely a bonus.

Don't Worry About Being A 'Fit Family'

Social media has a habit of making normal family life look inadequate.

You'll see families hiking up mountains at 7am while wearing perfectly coordinated outdoor clothing, and meanwhile you're still asking someone to brush their teeth for the fourth time.

Don't compare yourself.
Getting your family active isn't about suddenly becoming a family of athletes.

Some weeks you'll do loads. Other weeks everyone will be tired, the weather will be awful and you'll barely manage anything.

What matters is creating a general habit of moving more.

Sport England has lots of information and inspiration around getting active, and one of the most important things is finding something that works for you.

Your family might love cycling.

Another family might enjoy swimming.

Someone else might prefer walking the dog every evening.

There's no single right way to do it.

Put The Phones Away Occasionally

I'm including myself in this one.

It's incredibly easy to pick up your phone to check one thing and realise twenty minutes later that you're still scrolling.

Children see us doing it too.

We've started having periods when everyone puts their devices down and we actually do something together. It doesn't have to be for the whole day – even an hour makes a difference.

Go for a walk. Kick a ball around. Take the dog out. Put some music on.

Sometimes I think we're all so connected to everything happening online that we forget how good it feels to switch off for a while.

It's Really About Time Together

As my children get older, I'm increasingly aware that these years don't last forever.

There will come a time when they won't automatically be around at the weekend or want to come along on family days out.

That's probably why getting active together has become less about "fitness" for me and more about making memories.

Some of our best conversations happen while we're walking.

Some of our funniest moments happen when we're attempting an activity none of us is particularly good at.

And some days, success simply means we've all left the house for an hour without anybody staring at a screen.

You don't need an elaborate fitness plan to keep the whole family active.

Start small. Walk somewhere instead of driving. Get the bikes out of the shed. Go swimming. Try a new sport. Dance around the kitchen or take a football to the park.

Find the things your family genuinely enjoys and do more of them.

And if everybody needs the promise of cake at the end of a long walk to keep them going, I see absolutely nothing wrong with that.