An Exercise Routine the Entire Family Can Do Together

In our busy world, getting the right amount of physical activity and exercise can sometimes be difficult. Add the complications of getting your entire family on the path to being more active and you have a real challenge on your hands.

Although we know being active is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, let’s face it, a lot of families struggle to even sit down at the table for dinner let alone get together to do jumping jacks and push-ups in the family room.

Here are a few suggestions to start bringing your family together to be more active.

The walk

Walking can be very beneficial, but it’s kind of hard to convince a 15-year-old to go for a stroll in the neighborhood with the parents. So, take the family somewhere away from the house where there is a lot of space and something to do with a little independence.

Parks and playgrounds make the easiest choices with younger children. Although I’m an adult, I enjoy a playground as much as any 5-year-old. For the older children, a little freedom and walk around the local mall could be enough to get them out and about without too much grumbling. For a more intellectual approach, museums tend to be larger and require quite a bit of walking when you really think about it.

The sport

Pick a sport — any sport that can be done in a group. Whether it’s running a soccer ball down a field or bowling at the local lanes, it’s still being active and getting away from seated screen time.

Football, frisbee, golfing, rock climbing, ice skating, baseball, hockey, kickball (my personal favorite), tennis and dodgeball are just a few choices for becoming more active. To help encourage the family to join in, make it a day trip if you can. Take everyone to a park or the beach to get everyone moving and having fun. You can double down and include a walk to enjoy the location.

The game

One of my fondest childhood memories was one Christmas morning when my parents bought everyone — including themselves — toy disc launchers that were quickly used in a house-wide game of war. We spent over two hours running around the house, and then we spent the next 10 years finding random foam discs behind furniture and in the most unlikely of places (the freezer).

Playing tag, using Nerf guns, wrestling, laser tag and even hide-and-seek can become an active game to be played by the whole family. For those of you who are more technologically inclined, Wii, Xbox and Oculus Quest allow for very active participation in games that can involve multiple players.

Regardless of the activity you have in mind for your family, the most important aspect is having fun. So, if your family has fun seeing who can sprint the fastest or do the most push-ups in a minute, great! Make a plan, try it out and find what inspires your family to get up and move.

We can help you get more active

If you are recovering from an injury or illness, we can help you improve balance, gait, speech and cognitive ability so you can return to enjoying your daily life and becoming more active.

To make an appointment with ChristianaCare’s Rehabilitation Services, find a location that is convenient for you.

Aron McConnell, PT, DPT, COMT, CSCS, Pn1 is a physical therapist at ChristianaCare’s Chadds Ford and Pike Creek locations.