In honour of January being “Fit Family Month” it is important to recognize how we can all incorporate this into our lives with our family. Family Day Weekend is around the corner and we should take advantage of what we can do in this special time, with our family to stay fit. By family, I mean the people that you love and care about. That doesn’t have to mean with your kids. This could be a best friend, a significant other, a brother or sister, a parent or the whole crew. February is a month that we need a little extra motivation and inspiration to get through the winter.
GETTING FIT WITH YOUR FAMILY
If you are not a fan of the cold there are many other things that you can do inside your house with the family to stay active. Crank up the music and have a dance party with your family. There is nothing more fun then jamming out to your favorite tunes with the whole family dancing by your side. Make your household chores into a fun adventure with everyone. Play games while sweeping the house or doing the dishes. Instead of relegating each member of the family to doing separate chores by themselves, try and do them together. Race to see how fast you can get the house cleaned, and then try to beat your old time the next week. Play music while you’re doing laundry, and enlist the kids to sing and dance while helping to fold and put clothes away. Surprisingly enough, cleaning up around the house can be considered your daily activities if you get your heart rate up and continuously move. Turn TV commercials into quick fitness breaks. With the family, you can play follow the leader and take turns leading exercise moves like squats, push-ups or plank holds. In an hour TV episode there are at least 15 minutes of commercials that can be spent doing exercises.
There are so many ways to stay fit with the family outdoors as well. With all this snow, someone needs to shovel it. So why not let that be you and your family! Shoveling snow burns many calories and is a great bonding activity with the family. Take advantage of winter sports while they’re still in season. Skiing and skating are great activities and super fun. You can often find places to skate that don’t cost any money, as long as you have a pair of skates. Skiing can be pricey but it’s so worth the day trip! Snowshoeing is another winter sport that can be great for the whole family. If your family has a dog, go on family excursions to walk the dog. It is nice to get outside and get exposed to Vitamin D from the sun. Just make sure to always bundle up!
January is a great month to get our healthy and active resolutions started. It is always more fun to be with the family. We are so lucky to experience winter so take advantage of the Great White North!
Look out for our Winter series coming up in February on how to:
Get your body moving outside
Be active and happy in the winter
How to get your heart rate up
To keep up those fitness habits…be sure to download the HABITS app to stay on track!
Also listen to this to get more ideas on how to MAKE FITNESS FUN!