Top 10 tips for keeping your kids on the healthy and active path

Top 10 tips for keeping your kids on the healthy and active path

With the pressures of modern living it's often difficult to motivate your family to keep active and healthy.

While exercising and eating healthy takes effort, it is especially important to make sure that your children see keeping fit and healthy as something that's fun and rewarding, instead of seeing it as a chore. Staying fit and healthy is key to your children's overall mental and physical health and can set them on the healthy-living path early on.

Show your kids how much family fun you can have while getting healthy and active together and use these exercise sessions as a bonding opportunity for the whole family. Families that have fun together, get active and fitter too.

Here are our top 10 tips to encourage a healthy, happy and active family:

1. Let your children walk the dog

Walking the family's dog is a great way to get children active. Explain the importance of their furry friend's daily exercise and how much dogs love going for walks. Ask your children if they'd like to be responsible for walking the dog. You'll be surprised at how eager children are to pitch in.

2. Encourage your children to take part in group sports

If your child loves a sport like cricket, soccer or dancing, encourage them to get involved and stay involved in this sport. These are great forms of exercise that help children build social skills and confidence as well as relationships.

3. Move as a family

Pick one morning every weekend to do something outdoors as a family like going for a walk, riding your bikes or going for a swim. Unplug from technology for a few hours and make this part of your weekend routine by enjoying a breakfast or lunch afterward.

Participating in a parkrun or myrun is a great way to exercise together as a family and spend quality time together.

4. Sneak in exercises

Not all exercise has to be scheduled or last for an hour. Ask your children to help you with the housework, vacuuming always works up a sweat!

5. Spend time together at a park

Spend time at a park during the weekend so you can go for walks, kick a ball around or play frisbee together. Be sure to pack some healthy picnic snacks to keep your energy levels up!

6. Try a class together

Family members often have different interests. Mom may enjoy yoga while dad prefers squash and the kids like karate. You should all pursue sports and exercises you enjoy, but it can be great fun for the whole family to try one sport or exercise class together.

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7. Go for a bicycle ride

Cycling is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and if you all enjoy riding a bicycle, take the bikes out for a ride or go to a place where you can rent bicycles for the day. Remember to join Team Vitality, SA's largest running and cycling club. You'll get a quality running and cycling kit, exclusive VIP hospitality and up to 50% cash back on selected races.

8. Enjoy a simple stroll

Going for a walk is a great way to decompress after a tough day or week. You don't need a destination, even a walk around the block with the family counts.

9. Go swimming

Being in a pool with your children is a wonderful bonding experience whether they are learning how to swim or have mastered basic swimming skills. Check what swimming pools are available in the gyms and health centres in your area.

10. Be active together at home

If you have a garden or outdoor area, get the whole family outside and enjoy some sport together. If you don't have an outdoor area at home, do a little bit of stretching or yoga together in the living room. Dancing is an excellent and fun way to move too, so put on your favourite tunes and dance, dance, dance!

This information is this article is intended for general purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health or the health of your child, you should always consult with a healthcare professional.

Vitality and Disney nurture healthy families from the start, encouraging good habits in children and ensuring they become healthy adults. Complete Vitality Health activities as a family, engage with exclusive Disney-inspired content, and you will stand the chance to win with Disney.