5 Experts' Tips for Family Fitness

The Editors at Sharecare
Spend time with your family to celebrate Family Health and Fitness Day.
Spend time with your family to celebrate Family Health and Fitness Day.

By Su Reid-St. John

Here's a pair of things guaranteed to perk up your day: exercising and spending fun time with the family. And just like chocolate and peanut butter, these two go fabulously well together. In honor of Family Health and Fitness Day, I turned to some of Sharecare's top fitness experts and trainers for their most inspirational ways to get moving with the kids. Ready? Set? Go!

1. Redefine family game night
From NASM Elite Trainer Jeff Croswell:
"Video gaming is a great way for kids and parents to be active together." What better way to connect with the younger generation than doing something they love?" So fire up the Xbox Kinect or Wii Fit and pair off to compete in your favorite games.

Meet Sharecare's top experts in children's health

2. Host a scavenger hunt
From Sharecare fitness expert Todd Townes:
"We recently hosted a day-long outdoor scavenger hunt where we posted pictures of specific items with clues located strategically around the neighborhood, in places that would require some effort to find." Teams of adults and children worked together to track down all of the items. "The winning team got a special prize at day's end."

3. Create an obstacle course
From Sharecare fitness expert Mel Mueller:
"We love taking the kids to the park and setting up obstacle courses, like climb up the rock wall, go down the slide, do 10 push-ups, go across the monkey bars and run around the entire play structure. Then we time everyone to see how quickly they can get through it." Don't have a park nearby? Follow NASM fitness expert Ann Prokenpek's lead and set up an obstacle course in the backyard using whatever you have lying around. "It's so much fun doing it with my grandkids."

4. Stage a sporting event in your backyard
From Sharecare fitness expert Kristy Lee Wilson:
"My family used to play 'World Championships.' We'd choose 4 or 5 sports and play them in the backyard-things like soccer, touch football, badminton and ultimate Frisbee. We' play 20 minutes of each before moving on to the next event. Whichever team scored the most points in that time would be the champions of that event. Whoever won the most events claimed bragging rights as the 'world champions' of the day."

Take our Kids' Sports Smarts quiz

5. Do yoga in your jammies
From Sharecare yoga expert Kristin McGee:
"I, of course, am a huge fan of family yoga-even pajama party yoga. Get into your pj's and do some restorative poses at night, then the next morning do some sun salutations together."

Oh, and about that chocolate and peanut butter? Don't put back all the calories you burned by eating too much!

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Su Reid-St. John is Sharecare's Senior Fitness Editor.


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