Have you heard? May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month! Across the nation, sports and fitness organizations are raising awareness about the benefits of fitness. Fit After Fifty promotes physical activity year-round – albeit for a 50-plus audience – so why not join in on the fun?
Let’s take the fitness after fifty concept to the whole family, with some family fitness ideas and activities to try this month…
PLAY TOGETHER
Photo credit: Wikipedia Commons.
Time and time again in my book, Fit After Fifty, people said that fun had to be part of fitness. Otherwise, it’s nearly impossible to make it a part of your routine and you will not end up exercising. So, for National Physical Fitness and Sports month, get your children and grandkids together for a pickup game of softball in the park, kickball in the backyard, flag football at a local school, or even a Family Olympics event! Childhood games like tag can be a lot of fun, too. You’ll enjoy spending time with your loved ones, and you all will benefit from the physical activity and exercise. (Click here for some specific ideas for exercising as a family).
PLAN TOGETHER
Coordinate with your family members to challenge each other to get fit and be active. This is one way for your family to participate in National Physical Fitness & Sports Month – particularly if they are spread out across the country. Put together family health goals that you all plan to work toward together or individually, share healthy recipes (so you can eat the same thing even if you can’t sit at the same table), and communicate regularly to keep the fun going. Have each family member select a sport or exercise that they love, and as a family, do each person’s favorite activity at least once throughout the month.
CHALLENGE EACH OTHER
Hiking challenges – such as mounting a certain peak or reaching a certain distance – cycling races, run/walk race events, and other more organized fitness challenges can be a lot of fun to do as a family group. And, if you train together along the way to prepare for the big event, you have a much better chance of accomplishing or surpassing your goals! Even if you aren’t participating as a family in an organized fitness event, you can still encourage and challenge each other to reach personal goals in fitness and health. Support from loved ones is incredibly motivational.
Remember to keep each other safe and practice appropriate stretching and drink plenty of water as you get fit as a family for National Physical Fitness and Sports month!
In what ways do you like to get active and exercise with your family members? Share your family fitness tips and ideas on our Facebook page, or contact us to share your family’s fitness story.
