We all know that physical activity plays a fundamental role in the health and well-being of all people regardless of their age. By being active regularly, we help our bodies in their physical, emotional, and psychological well-being, as well as in the prevention of many diseases. Parents can help get their children engaged in movement by doing physical activities together with the whole family. This will allow parents to share, strengthen relationships with one another, and children can learn directly through their parents’ example.
To help you get started planning and doing physical activities to keep your family active, here are five fun ways to celebrate this National Family Health and Fitness Day:
Outdoor Activities:
1. Fun Family Outings: Walking Trails
Walking is an activity that you can choose to do any day of the week, either in the area where you live or better yet, going on walking trails surrounded by nature at a local park. Staying active will help your heart health, lower your risk of diabetes, and maintain your weight over time.
Looking for walking trails or hiking venues? Enjoy the beauty of nature and explore the walking trails listed in the following Arkansas State Parks Guide by Area
2. Seasonal Fruit Picking
One of the most anticipated times of the year, with warmer days ahead, summer is the best time to be outdoors. Plan active family outings with other families and have fun doing outdoor activities visiting local farms, picking your favorite fruits like strawberries, peaches, cherries, and also picking vegetables. Without a doubt adding fruits and vegetables to your diet can help you stay healthy and on track.
Interested in going fruit picking this weekend? Here’s a list of some Farms in Central Arkansas where you can pick berries.
3. Cycling Or Hiking With Your Little Ones
Keep your kids active throughout the day. Encourage them to get off screens and go for a bike ride or climb to the top of a mountain. Creating healthy habits will help them to be physically stronger and avoid being sedentary.
Learn more about How Much Physical Activity Children Need
Indoor Activities:
4. Home Improvement Projects
Being physically active doesn’t necessarily mean that it should be a sports activity. As long as you keep moving, it counts! If you decide to stay at home, you can consider doing house chores that everybody can collaborate in, such as vacuuming, cleaning, washing the car, doing gardening projects, or better yet something more creative like remodeling, painting, and decorating the house.
5. Aerobics And Music
You can also come up with fitness challenge ideas to challenge each other, play in the backyard, throw a dance contest or move with a hula-hoop. In short, there are countless activities you can do to keep your family active. Whatever activity you choose, be sure to create a distributed activity calendar for the entire week, setting realistic goals that everyone can achieve.
For more information and tips on how you can live a healthy life visit our Health Library.