Being Active as a Family

By Precious Oladipo, FFP Director & Fitness Lead

Physical activity is great for our bodies, and gives us an endless number of benefits, but slotting it into our busy daily lives serves to be quite a pain sometimes, doesn’t it?  Adding children to the mix might make it almost impossible for some, but being active doesn’t always mean dragging the family to the gym - there are other ways in which you can stay active with your family and kill two birds with one stone. 

Current guidelines state that children should aim for 60 minutes of physical activity a day and for adults, its 150 minutes per week. Being active with your children will help to achieve your fitness goals and also builds a special bond as a family. Instilling these behaviours whilst they are young, will encourage them to adopt these habits as they grow older. 

Take a walk as a family and maybe play a game of ‘I Spy’ too. Play a team sport or some of your favourite childhood games - release your inner child every now and then!  Find out what your children like to do or get them to pick a monthly activity that you can all do together. If they are a lot older, make it competitive!  Set up a step challenge and have a prize for the winner (a small incentive goes a long way). 

If you’re feeling extremely competitive, challenge a friend’s family too.

Improved communication and teamwork skills, as well as building more opportunities to engage with your children, are just some of the benefits that come with being active as a family. 

It might not happen overnight but gradually building this in as a family routine, even if it’s just 10 minutes, is a great place to start.