7 Fun Fit Family Workouts

Up and Out! 7 Ways to Get Fit with Your Family
by Anita S. Lane

Aah, the sweet smell of Spring and the longing for Summer fun. This season, use the warm weather to further your family’s fitness goals. Here are seven activities you can use to get fit with your family.

1 Take a Walk.
After that scrumptious family meal, skip desert and finish it off with a 30 minute after-dinner walk. Speed-walking not required. The idea here is to move your joints, increase your heart rate and as a bonus—bond with your family. According to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 1999, thirty minutes a day of walking brings as much risk reduction for heart attack as a high-intensity exercise program.

2 Take a Ride …
A bike ride, that is. Cycling is a great way to tone your upper thigh muscles, backside, and calf muscles. Go for a ride on Saturday morning. Pack a lunch and plan a picnic at a local park. Be sure to take lots of water and wear your safety gear. A great calorie-burner, cycling raises the speed of your metabolism for hours afterwards, so your body continues to burn calories even after exercise.

3 Go for a Dip.
Swimming is a wonderful aerobic activity that increases your cardiovascular system and tones your entire body. Go for a dip, do some laps and change your body for the better. However, if you don’t have the stamina for laps or even if you don’t know how to swim, get in the pool and have some fun. Play a game of volleyball in the pool. Chase the kids along the edge of the pool. See who can tread water the longest. Do some cannonballs, or dunk the kids in and out (hey, that’s weigh-lifting!) Water exercise can reduce joint stiffness and high blood pressure. So make it a family affair. Gather the young, the old and the in-between and head to the nearest pool. The entire family will reap the benefits.

4 Play With Your Kids.
Want to keep your after-dinner activity close to home? Engage in an intense game of tag in the backyard or a fun game of jump rope or hopscotch. Just thirty minutes of vigorously playing and running with your kids can burn up to 200 calories.

5 Create Your Own Boot Camp.
Take the family to the local park and do all of the exercises along the fitness trail. Make it even more challenging by adding push-ups and timing yourselves along the way. Try to shorten the amount of time it takes you to complete the trail and the exercises each time you go.

6 Strap on Those Blades.
Back in the day we used to roller skate. Now we rollerblade. So be it. Pick up the blades and roll around the neighborhood or at your local park. Rollerblading offers similar fitness benefits to running. Just make sure you wear your helmet, knee and elbow pads and learn how to come to a complete stop!

7 Pull out the Racket.
Sign up for family tennis lessons. Already a pro? Play a game of one-on-one or two-on-two. Running after that little yellow ball will really get your heart rate up.

Increasing your family’s fitness level may seem like an arduous task but there are plenty ways to make it fun. The warm weather inspires us to get outside. So get up and out and take the whole family with you.

Exercise Safety Tips
Before you begin any new exercise regimen, consult your physician
Wear the recommended safety gear
Drink water before, during and after exercise
When it’s really hot, engage in outdoor aerobic activity in the cooler early-morning or evening hours
Remember to warm up, cool down and stretch
Don’t over do it!Exercise Safety Tips
Before you begin any new exercise regimen, consult your physician
Wear the recommended safety gear
Drink water before, during and after exercise
When it’s really hot, engage in outdoor aerobic activity in the cooler early-morning or evening hours
Remember to warm up, cool down and stretch
Don’t over do it!

Calories Burned by 30 minutes of Activity (the more you weigh, the more calories burned)
Walking 3mph (moderately): 74-151
Swimming: 236-345
Treading water: 118-173
Aerobic-type dance: 177-259
Bicycling 10mph or less: 118-173
Jumping Rope at a slow pace: 235-345
Playing Tennis: 200-300
Walk/run and play with Child (Vigorously): 118-216