So here we are, full into the holiday season. Rich foods, lots of sweets, kids on school break and antsy for Christmas! Now what?
Around here we try to fit in some family fitness fun.
I’m no fitness guru by any means, but one thing I know is that if our family doesn’t do something that involves some form of exercise during this time of excitement and down time we will be at each other. So here is my simple suggestion: Go for walks! That’s it..nothing fancy..just a good old fashion walk.
Now around here in the Pacific Northwest it rains..a lot! We can’t allow that to stop us though..Someone invented these really neat things called umbrellas and hoods..so we use them! HA!
I discovered that my kids really like to go for walks with me. It’s special to them for some reason. They like to walk and talk. Really! I used to go for walks by myself. I love the peace and quiet and time to spend with the Lord….But it’s not easy to try to get alone. Kids just naturally want to follow whatever thing it is that you are going to enjoy… alone!
Have you tried to get out of the house by yourself lately? The kids want to come right? Even the teenagers. What’s with that? I gave into letting them come with me.
So we get our exercise and build our relationships at the same time.
If walking with your kids sounds boring..make it FUN! Here are just a few suggestions that we have done over the years:
- Play I Spy as you walk along
- Discover different types of plants and trees…different textures…collect them along the way
- Have the kids race to the next street and STOP
- Sing songs along the way
- Be really quiet as you walk and see what sounds you can hear
- Talk about how you are feeling that minute!
- Pray together, kids love to pray…even teens will find something to pray about
- and of course if it’s raining, put your face up to the sky and see how many raindrops you can eat!
Well you get the picture. Family fitness is fun, relaxing, healthy and builds relationships. Because it’s good for my kids, I tend to enjoy it more because it’s not all about me. Not that there’s anything wrong with taking time for myself…I just don’t seem to be able to sneak out without them! LOL!
Have a blessed week and get those bodies moving!
What form of family fitness fun do you do with your family?
Oh, you are so right!I can never sneak out without one of them seeing me,lol! I love all your ideas on making the walk more fun.
OneMommy recently posted..Play-doh Ornaments #Craft
Walks gotta be fun for kids..Hmm maybe that’s the problem..I need to make walks more boring
LOL Thanks for stopping by! 
My kids love to be active and I’m so happy. We live in Florida so we ride our bikes all year. My 6-year-old is into getting big muscles, so he does “Insanity” with me (it’s by his choosing). We also have dance parties, tumbling nights and a nightly planking competition.
Thank you for sharing this!
Merry Christmas
Faith – My Rays of Sunshine recently posted..Impeccable Timing
Wow Faith! You Rock! Insanity!!..My big kids do that when they are getting ready to do a Marathon..Whoosh! I WATCHED it once and that’s as far as I got..embarrassing! LOL Oh and a planking competition! Awesome! You will have a wonderful fit family. The best part is that this will continue waaay into adulthood!
Merry Christmas to you also and thanks for stopping by!
Being active is so important and sharing that time with kids will not only give you a push to your workout, but allow for some great quality time!! Great blog as always dear!! God bless!
Jean recently posted..House of Pure Aloha
It does make me want to work out more..just to be a good example
And I love that walking gives me quality time with my teens especially 
Blessings Jean!
great post! and the kids see you excercising and it sets an example for them.
ann recently posted..Words Every Parent Wants To Hear
That’s totally right Ann! I have kids in their 30′s that are marathon runners..go figure that just by making exercising something fun it would encourage such a grueling sport to be FUN! LOL
Blessings and thanks for stopping by! Will hop over and read your article too!
Great tips, Shari! My husband and I love going on walks together. We live near the beach so we love walking along the boardwalk. We can walk for hours and it not even feel like a work out because we’re just walking, talking and holding hands. But our bodies recognize it as exercise. We’ve both run marathons and 1/2 marathons in the past but there is just something about “easy exercise” that we love the most
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Fawn recently posted..Poem Written to My Husband
Yes I love long walks too with my hubby
We have beaches nearby BUT in the Pacific Northwest we only get to walk along them in Summer time..otherwise just too windy and cold 
Thanks for stopping by Fawn!
Blessings
I walk a lot with my kids too. I’ve also played I spy with them while walking. Once while out for a walk with my four year old we talked about everything that we heard along the way. Then it turned into a game of I Spy.
Cascia recently posted..Count Your Blessings This Christmas
Love it! You never know kind of game the day will bring
Thanks for stopping by Cascia and have a very Merry Chirstmas! Blessings!
This is a great post.
My goal for 2012 is to try to get me and the kids out of the house at least 15 minutes a day, even if it’s freezing cold, and run and jump like crazy!
Melissa recently posted..Tranquility
Yeah for you Melissa! It’s just that first part of getting out and then…well crazy fun happens! Merry Christmas and Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings!
Take time to enjoy the good weather God grants us. If you are tight on money, look around for free opportunities to strengthen your family. Picnic. Maybe making sandwiches and visiting a park would make your kids’ day. Take a few toys and play catch. Or, find a free concert in the park. Fish. Perhaps fishing is something you enjoy, but haven’t done since last year. Make it a family event, and teach your children to bait the hook and cast.You may not catch many fish, but your kids will remember the family togetherness. Bake. Bake bread or cookies together; it doesn’t take much money if you bake from scratch, yet it’s a family activity that will live in your memories for years to come. Camp. Camping is fairly cheap, but it’s free when it’s in your own backyard or at a relative’s place. Going to Grandma and Grandpa’s house may become an adventure when you set your tent up in their field. Summer vacation is a time off from school, not from God. He never takes a vacation from us. He’s always there. Sometimes we forget that because we distance ourselves from Him, thinking that we need a vacation from everything. Whether we are camping on the weekend, traveling to a tournament, coming home from a wedding — whatever causes us to miss a worship service — we need to remember to worship God. Stay connected. Pray, and have family devotions. If you go on a family vacation, go to a church near your vacation spot (that’s fun!) and notice that God is always with you.
Thanks for sharing!! Blessings to you!
Family fitness is very important because we want to live in a world that is disease free and pain free. exercise and diet is very important when it comes to family fitness. ;*’`*
Have a great day! http://healthmedicinelab.com/bronchitis-treatment/
Hi Sigrid! Yes Fitness is very important..although I admit..sometimes I’m really good at staying on top of exercise and other times not
Thanks so much for stopping by!! Blessings!