Sneaking in Family Fitness
DDRYou may have mastered the art of sneaking in some good nutrition into your kids’ lives (yogurt “smoothies” and veggie “bugs,” anyone?), but getting them to exercise can take cunning, craftiness—real skills on the front of the parenting battlefield. But fret not, oh working soldier mom-or-pop; this guide will help you sneak in some physical activity in your kids’ lives—as well as your own—keeping you healthy while you have fun together.
Go outside and play. This is the best way to get some movement in your day because you also get fresh air. While it’s not so sneaky, just being willing to take a break from work and play with your kids—whether it’s Frisbee, catch, or simply tag—will send the message that playtime is important. Show them what you played as a kid. Chances are, they’ve probably never even heard of stickball.
Bring in Rover. Have your child take responsibility for his or her pet by making a daily walk part of its care regimen. Make it a family walk and change the scenery; the whole family might enjoy a walk at a different park, or a hike during the weekend.
Encourage misbehavior. This doesn’t mean for them to call grandma fat or to fling jelly on the cat; it means to let them live a little. If it’s safe, let them jump on the bed or have a pillow fight. If you have the room, making running in the house a privilege for certain times—say, after Mommy’s meeting, or during the first ten minutes after Daddy gets home. That way it’s not chaos, still has limitations, but still encourages movement and a good time.
Play a game. Instead of dragging out Cranium or Scene It, use your body and go for Twister. Even better, make up a relay race, teach old school games like Red Rover and Mother May I with a fitness twist (“Mother May I hop on one leg? Mother may I run and touch the tree?”). When it’s time to clean up you can even turn chores into a game—going as fast as you can, pick everything up, and whoever picks up the “secret object” that you’ve chosen ahead of time—say, the green paintbrush or the blue stuffed bunny—gets a prize, or gets to pick the next “secret object.”
Let them play their video games. Add a condition: half of the time spent playing needs to be a physical game, such as Dance Dance Revolution. Who knows? Maybe it will become a family tradition to have a dance-off on Friday night—and you can wow your kids with the songs you know. Bands like Duran Duran and Roxette are getting a brand new fan base through DDR. If you don’t have the game, take a special trip to the arcade and play.
