10 WAYS TO STAY ACTIVE AND HEALTHY AS A FAMILY

 

January 18, 2023

By David Wezgrzyn, Club Director Chelsea Piers Fitness, Stamford

10 WAYS TO STAY ACTIVE AND HEALTHY AS A FAMILY

Keeping yourself and your family healthy is more important than ever before. Staying active helps reduce stress and risk of getting sick, yet during the hustle and bustle of our busy lives, exercise is usually the first thing busy families drop from their to-do list.

Being physically active and healthy is one of the most important gifts you can give to your family. Get to the gym when you can, but don’t look past some fun ways to stay active while spending quality time with the family. Try to set aside 30 minutes at least three times a week for family exercise time. It is the perfect after-school or after-dinner routine.


1. PLAY TIME

The activities depend on the age of your kids. If they are younger, try a game of tag, hopscotch or hide-and-seek. You can also schedule some playground time. For older kids, kick around the soccer ball, shoot hoops, or hit the tennis ball back and forth in the driveway.


2. POUND THE PAVEMENT

Nothing says exercise like a family bike ride or walk. Grab a pair of inline skates or a scooter. All it takes is 30 minutes. You can even make it a little competitive by tracking everyone’s steps or miles each week. Set goals. Award fun prizes.


3. DOLE OUT THE YARD WORK

Even in Winter, chores abound. Shovel the snow. Stack firewood. Rake leaves. Put up decorations. There are plenty of things that your kids can help do around the house.


4. JUMP ROPE

Did you know that jumping rope burns an estimated 600 calories an hour? And everyone can do it. See who can be the family’s Double Dutch champion.


5. GET ALL MUSICAL

What family does not like to sing and dance? Put on some music and let it go. Have a family dance party. Create a sing off. Try a virtual Zumba class together.


6. GET FIDO INVOLVED

Studies show that owning a dog is one of the best ways to keep healthy and active. Daily walks with the family pet are the perfect excuse to get outdoors more.


7. PLAYGROUND FOLLIES

Playground activities are not just for kids. Make the backyard or local playground your own Olympic-style venue. Cross the monkey bars. Do some pull-ups. See who can go the highest on the swing.


8. BACKYARD BALLIN’

Kickball. Wiffleball. Dodgeball. If it has ball in the name, do it. There is no better way to get your blood circulating than having a good old-fashioned Snowball fight.


9. TAKE A VIRTUAL FITNESS CLASS

If you are away from the fitness club, you can still work out with our Chelsea Piers Fitness instructors, virtually on our on-demand YouTube channel. Try hundreds of classes in Yoga, Strength, Barre, HIIT, Pilates, and Mindfulness.


10. CLIMB STAIRS

“There are few cardio exercises better than racing up and down a set of stairs,” shares Martha Guttoso, Group Fitness Instructor at Chelsea Piers. “You can make it a total circuit training set by including 10 pushups, burpees and squats after each round of stairs. Aim for at least 20 to 30 minutes of work, depending on how many stairs you have and how fast you go.”