The Top Fitness Workouts for the Whole Family
03/17/2021 | Written by Nikos Kaskaras in Fitness & Nutrition Tips
Spending quality time with your family is what all family people want, isn't it? Indeed, there's probably nothing more fulfilling in life than having a great time with the people you love more and spend most of your time together. But how can you achieve that? It can be a tricky issue, especially if you have kids and need to be alert most of the time. Well, although there are no easy recipes for success in life, practising fitness workouts is an excellent way of combining happy times with healthy living. We present you with some of the best fitness practices you can perform with your whole family.
Jogging
Jogging is the easiest and one of the most popular workouts around the world. No surprises about that, as it's very easy to perform it. You just need short pants, a t-shirt and a pair of athletic shoes and you are ready to go. Although you can do it from the comfort of your home by buying a running machine, it would be much better to be outside. It's a different feeling as you come to breathe fresh oxygen and change the scenery as you keep on jogging. The physical benefits of jogging are also great:
- It improves the immune system
- It strengthens bones
- It enhances cardiovascular fitness
- It burns a great number of calories
- It boosts mood
Cycling
Cycling is another workout that can be greatly beneficial for the whole family. It offers a greater number of experiences as you move around places and change the scenery around you all the time. For the parents of young children, this can be a challenging task, as they need to instruct them how to cycle. Of course, you can always begin the course by using auxiliary bicycle wheels to help them balance. One thing is certain: Once they learn how to bicycle, they are going to love it. Bicycles are most usually the first means of transportation that people use, and they tend to remember that experience for the rest of their lives as it provides them with a great sense of freedom. Furthermore, the benefits of cycling are great:
- It improves posture and coordination
- It improves the mobility of joints
- It improves flexibility
- It raises spatial awareness
- It boosts self-confidence
Hiking
This can be a more challenging workout for the whole family, but once you make sure that all family members have become familiar with the fundamentals, it can raise your family experience to another level. First of all, you need to make sure that weather conditions are appropriate so make sure that you check the weather forecast before organising it. Then, you should choose a low and easily accessible hill to climb to make it convenient and flexible. You don't want to climb Kilimanjaro Mountain (at least not with your family!). Hiking can offer a unique family experience as you come in closer contact with nature. At the same time, it can be more exciting for your children to come out of their comfort zone and, maybe, reach their limits. Family hiking can help in various ways both senior and younger members. For the first, it's a major stress release activity. For the latter a means of releasing their energy. And for all sides, a great workout for boosting their mood.
Swimming
Swimming with your family provides a unique experience for all family members. The basic difference between all other possible family workouts is the element of water. Water is not only a source of life for the whole planet but also a great way to release tension, boost mood, fit the whole body and strengthen bonds among family members. Another advantage of choosing swimming as a family workout is the option of choices. You can either go to a swimming pool or the sea. The factors of weather and swimming skills are crucial in making that choice. When the weather is bad or you aren't competent, the choice of a swimming pool is the safest. On the other hand, during summertime and considering that you acquire basic swimming skills you can visit a beach and have a great time under a bright, blue sky. Last but not least: Choosing swimming as a family workout provides all of you with a significant survival skill.
Dancing
This can be a very favourite workout for the whole family and especially for the kids. Moreover, it requires the least: Free up some space in your house, play a music tune you love and 3-2-1.... go! As simple as it sounds, so effective dancing can be for all of you. There are physical (improvement of strength, balance, agility, coordination and cardiovascular health) as well as mental benefits (enhancement of cognitive skills, easing anxiety, lifting mood). What's best, is that all those benefits come while having a great time. Furthermore, holding regular family dance parties will tighten family bonds. Especially during social distancing times, like the one we currently live with the emergence of Covid-19, such activity can be saving for the mental balance of all.
Kayaking
Adding variety to the workouts you practice with your family is essential for keeping everybody happy. Family kayaking is a hobby that can become an instant favourite for all family members, especially the younger ones. The sense of adventure that comes with it is the difference factor as you move around a lake or a sea, constantly changing the scenery around you. Furthermore, it strengthens bonds among family members as it requires a team effort. Naturally, the youngest the kids the less their contribution during the workout, but as they grow older they can sit together with the other family members and be an active part of the team. Although children of any age can participate in a family kayaking workout when they reach the age of seven they could be in a separate boat. What's even best is that family kayaking is a low impact exercise that provides a great number of benefits as it improves:
- Flexibility
- Aerobic fitness
- Strength
Just make sure that weather conditions are good, choose one of the many great places of kayaking that Australia offers and enjoy.
Workouts with your kids on top of you
Ok, this is not exactly a full family workout, but it can still be great fun. The idea is to practice a couple of exercises like pushups or bodyweight squats while having your kids on top of you. They are workouts that are more suitable for the father, as they require greater strength, but think about that: It can be a great spectacle for the mother and the other family members. Moreover, if there is more than one kid in the family, they can change turns and share the fun. These are indoor workouts and fathers have to be careful when holding their kids during their practice. It would be ideal to use a gym mat for making it smooth and easy. Apart from being very positive for enhancing strength, such workouts can be extremely amusing and strengthen family bonds.
Family yoga
Practising family yoga is not the most usual of family workouts but it can certainly be very beneficial. Its greatest advantage is that it offers a peaceful, meaningful time among family members with no external interference. You can practice it either from the comfort of your place or in special classes. Of course, there's no need to be strict with your kids, to perform the body movements right, as the main goal should be to teach the importance of acquiring a better relation to themselves and the principles of harmony. Perhaps one of the most significant benefits of family yoga is the mental perspectives it can open for kids. Try to speak about it after the end of the session and you may be surprised by what you hear. Don't forget that children can be great teachers for adults as long as their ears are open.
Conclusion
Gum family workouts shall not be part of parents' routine, just for the “sake of the children or kids”. They can be the best time you can spend and certainly have much to offer. Not only can they change the mood of the whole family but they can motivate both parents and children. All people tend to play and we shall not forget that. Games and workouts are not only for kids. Apart from the obvious physical benefits, they can also provide quality family time, strengthen family bonds and be excellent sources of inspiration for both parents and kids. Just keep an open mind, be creative and energetic and keep a stable schedule of practising such family workouts and you could be amazed by the wealth of experience you can gain.
