Living a healthy lifestyle is a big commitment.
Once you make the decision to change your ways and live a healthy life, it’s crucial that you stick to it. Especially if you’re contemplating weight loss surgery at the SmartShape™ Weight Loss Centre. The surgery won’t do all the work for you, so you’re going to have to make a life-long change. Which of course, can be easier said than done. That’s why it’s all the more helpful when your family jumps on the healthy-living train, right along with you!
In fact, there are many ways you can include your kids in your exercise regimen! That way, you can engage in regular physical activity, all while providing your children with ideal supervision and motivation to get active!
The Benefits of Exercising with Your Family
There are many wonderful benefits to including your family in your exercise regimen. Even if they sit on the sidelines and cheer you on as you complete your last set of squats, you can become a fantastic role model for your entire family!
Always looking for a fun and unique way to spend time together as a family? Regular exercise and physical activities might just be the answer you’ve been looking for! You can create cherished and valuable memories together as a family unit, all while contributing to an active and healthy lifestyle.
Two birds, one stone.
How to Motivate Your Kids to Be Active
We understand, getting your kids to do anything they don’t want to do can be a handful. Well, don’t let it become a source of stress. You know your family better than anyone else, so chances are you will probably know the best way to motivate them to get active with you.
Here are a few things you can try to motivate your kids to join in on the fun:
- Create a sticker chart with prizes
- Find an activity that you both enjoy and will benefit from
- Take turns choosing the activity
- Turn exercise into a fun game
- Reward them with fun activities, like movie nights or a new outfit
Of course, we highly recommend that you talk to your family and teach them about the values of living a healthy lifestyle. The sooner you communicate with them about the importance of healthy eating and regular exercise, the sooner they will understand and hopefully follow in your footsteps.
Making the choice to live a healthy lifestyle just might be one of the best things you have ever done. Not only did you make your health a priority, but you became an even better role model for your family.
Top 10 Child-Friendly Exercises
Here are some of our favourite exercises you can try with your kids!
- Plank
- Jumping jacks
- Squats
- Burpees
- Flutter Kicks
- Push-ups
- Crunches
- Lunges
- Mountain climbers
- Yoga
You can encourage your children to do their best variation of each exercise, and at a rate that is comfortable for them. If your child doesn’t want to engage in physical activity that day, there are other ways they can get in on the fun! They can sit on your shoulders or get into a piggy-back position during squats, lunges, or push-ups, help keep track of the time, or even sit on your feet while you do some crunches.
Incorporating Exercise into Daily Life
There are lots of ways physical activity can be incorporated into your daily routine. Whether you make it into a competitive challenge, or simply ask them to help with housework, there’s always a way to break a sweat.
Encourage your family to join you during some of these activities:
- Walking
- Hiking
- Swimming
- Dancing
- Chores
- Yard work
- Gardening
- Sports
- Games
There are so many fun ways to engage your family in regular activity! It all depends on your lifestyle and what you enjoy doing together. Looking for more weight loss tips and tricks? Follow along on Twitter and Facebook, or look through the SmartShape™ Weight Loss Centre blog!