6 Top Tips to getting the family involved in healthy activities
- Put a limit on screen time. Let's face it, these days everyone is on their device playing, watching, researching, having fun but we know this time consuming leisure activity is highly addictive and encourages a sedentary lifestyle.
Set some standards in your house around screen time and everyone adheres to it - the WHOLE family including YOU! Stick to your own rules and be a great role model for those around you.
- Have a range of outdoor activities the family can play from old school hopscotch, totem tennis and handball through to kite flying, riding bikes and scooters and going for walks. Make these activities accessible, fun and even competitive for those who love a challenge. If you make the activities desirable and important your kids will appreciate the time, they spend with you.
- Find something your family like doing together and do more of it. It may be heading to the beach, playing at the park or kicking the ball around. This can also lead to organised sport - Team sports, Sunday Nippers, Dancing, Gymnastics or Scouts.
- You may also have to help your child find their "thing". Not everyone is competitive or sporty but there is an active leisure activity for everyone. Give you child a chance to research what they may enjoy and often they can participate in a two week trial to see if it's for them. Keep doing trials until you find what works.
- Once the family are involved in sport make the most of the time, watching, coaching and participating in the organisation of the club. Your kids will love seeing you be supportive of them and it shows the importance you place on an active healthy lifestyle.
- If your kids have swim squad - go for a swim at the same time, if they have AFL training do laps of the oval whilst you're waiting. This makes it easy to diarise and time is there to be used instead of standing around chatting with the other parents - walk and talk !
Encouraging your family to have a healthy active lifestyle will have so many positive benefits for all of you. Your family will appreciate it and everyone will have great memories of feeling fit and healthy and spending quality time together.
*Disclaimer: Individual results vary based on agreed goals. Click here for details.
