For decades now family night meant the whole family sitting in front of the TV, watching a film and eating pizza. Why not change that? Quality time with the family can now mean something fun and beneficial, something that can set an example for the children.
As I’ve explained, this not only benefits the body but also the mind: the fact that the members of a family (who usually spend the majority of their day apart, burdened down by their own anxieties and pressures) get to spend 1-1,5 hour during which they have a common goal, common stimuli and experiences is hugely beneficial in order to bond and protext that bond going forward. When this bonding experience is subliminally connected with fun, the benefits are even greater – and I don’t have to be told about this by the families I work with, I can see it myself in the way they communicate.
As with anything that has to do with children, variety is everything, so it’s crucial to alternate between workouts in order to keep their interest alive:
– Go for bike rides once a fortnigh, ideally on Sundays if that means you will have more time to enjoy it and you have time for breaks.
– Go to the nearest track and jog a bit as a family. You can even do a few brief sprint races, without too much pressure on the kids.
– If you have a trampoline, hop on together for 10 minutes with the children: it’s excellent cardio and also great fun!
– Bring your children to the gym so that they witness one of the classes you attend – it might be too early to try out a few of the moves, but it’s important that they are around an fitness environment and get to understand that fitness is not an obligation, but a source of joy.
– Try a family yoga class: not only is it an ideal form of exercise for the body and the mind of younger and older children, and their parents, but also a class that incorporates fun and games in order to build a healthy parent-child relationship