Being physically active is one of the best ways families can spend time together, have fun and stay healthy. In honor of Family Health and Fitness Day tomorrow, the HSS Pediatric Rehabilitation physical therapists have the following tips to help your family stay active and healthy:
1. Plan your weekends to be physically active. Get outside and observe beautiful fall foliage during a hike or on a bike ride.
2. Apple or pumpkin picking is fun for the whole family and requires physical activity, like walking outdoors, reaching for apples and carrying bags full of delicious, healthy produce to make nutritious meals and snacks.
3. Play a family soccer, tennis, or Frisbee game.
4. Hold a “Family Olympics Day.” Make tin foil medals to wear and hold activities such as potato sack races, relays, and leap frog.
5. Design and run a race or an obstacle course in the park or your own backyard.
6. Play with your dog. Both you and your pets need exercise.
7. TV time can also be exercise time. During commercial breaks – see how long you can stand on one foot or try and do jumping jacks until the television program comes back on.
8. Exercise together with your kids: do sit-ups, push-ups, jumping, hopping on one foot, and lunges at home or in the park.
9. Put on some music and dance with your kids.
10. On a rainy day, play Wii Sports, Wii Fit or Dance Dance Revolution with your kids.
11. Participate in a walk for charity as a family.
12. Play “animal games.” Walk like a crab or a bear, gallop like a horse, slither like a snake, jump like a frog, or hop like a bunny.
Winter is coming, so start planning for cold weather activities. Snowboarding, skiing or ice-skating are all fun, as long as kids have appropriate protective gear such as helmet, wrist guards and knee pads.
