How to Create Active/Exercising Routines With Your Kids

Maybe you don’t struggle to get them off of the couch, but you have a hard time getting up and heading outside with them. Or maybe your kids simply love their video games and you wish they would come outside with you and play.

Either way, being sedentary isn’t any good for anyone, so it’s time to get active. You can develop an exercise routine with your kids at home, and it doesn’t even have to be complicated. Here are a few tips.

Play Together

Your kids will always benefit from your undivided attention and unconditional love. So go play with them. You can all stand to get up and spend some time together, so why don’t you devote some quality time to whatever it is they want to do?

Exercising the mind and body together helps your child develop physically and also strengthens their intellect and emotional IQ. Help your child grow their brain along with their body, and the two will complement each other.

There are plenty of activities you can do outside like go on a bike ride, play hopscotch, roller skate, or play a family game of baseball in the yard. But if the weather is no good, you shouldn’t let that get you down.

You can bowl inside using empty toilet paper rolls and a soft ball. It’s a challenge for the whole family, figuring out how to aim and throw. Increase the difficulty by playing it on the carpet instead of a bare floor.

Use masking tape on your hardwood to create an indoor hopscotch game that you can play any time you want. It’s a physical game that encourages balance and counting.

Dance

Music is a really great developmental tool for young kids, but you don’t have to just sit there and listen. Get up and shake your groove thing. Dancing is a fun activity for all ages. Kids love to move their bodies to music, and the whole family can join in.

You can use it as a music history lesson and you can do it anywhere, anytime. If you find that your kids need to get up and get moving, or you’ve had some trouble getting motivated lately, work a dance break into every day and you’ll be surprised how easy it is to break a sweat.

Do Some Art

Kids love to get creative, but painting doesn’t have to be quiet. Finger paints and sidewalk chalk are excellent excuses to get outside. You can use your entire body to make art with finger paints, and sidewalk chalk requires bending and moving, too.

Make life-sized body art with body paints or spin around the driveway with homemade liquid chalk paints and take pictures of the results. It’s equally as easy to make shaving cream art and get your whole body to participate.

Explore the Community

Getting outside and exploring your community is one of the best ways to introduce some variety into your exercise routine. Find nature walks, wildlife sanctuaries, or historical museums nearby, and then learn something about where you live.

You’ll stay active but you’ll also instill a sense of pride in your hometown and your kids will be excited to talk about where they’re from. Plus, this is a great way to turn off video games and get out of the house.

Put it on the Schedule

Sometimes, one of the biggest obstacles to staying active is simply not making it a priority. If you put it on your calendar, you’ll be sure to do it. You can prepare for it every day and there will be no excuses.

Block out at least 30 minutes a day for physical activities, but make it interesting for everyone by not doing the same thing every day. This should keep everyone excited and motivated. The longer you do it, the easier it will be to keep it up.

You can even double up. If your kids have baseball and gymnastics in the evening, take a walk around the building or the baseball field while they’re at practice. You have to drive them there anyway, so use that time to get in a workout for you.

Final Thoughts

Mixing it up and offering a variety of activities is key for children to remain engaged and excited about exercising. You can do any of these or make up your own, but no matter what you do, think outside the box.

Exercising with kids doesn’t have to include traditional physical fitness. It can be anything that gets you up and moving. Be sure to put it on your calendar and make it interesting. You’ll be surprised at how much you look forward to it every day.