Keeping your family healthy might be difficult, if your children would rather eat sweets than fruit or vegetables, or if they prefer video games to playing outdoors. However, you can make food and exercise more fun, so everyone in your family will want to join in.
Taking up a sport together
Taking up a sport together has multiple benefits, including improving your fitness, spending quality time together as a family and improving confidence.
You may not need to spend much money. If you have a sports centre nearby, they will often let you hire out the space you need for your chosen sport. Although, you might like to bring your own equipment, such as balls or nets. For example, if you and your family decide to take up volleyball, you can read reviews on balls for volleyballs for indoors. This lets you find the most suitable one for you. Playing indoors also means you’re not relying on the weather. As some of these balls are suitable for both indoor and outdoor play, you might want to get a ball that covers both, so you can get your family outdoors again when the weather improves.
Cooking
Cooking as a family encourages your children to develop an interest in food and ingredients while giving them skills they will need later in life. This means that as well as showing them how to cook healthy meals now, they will be able to continue this positive habit when they leave home, and perhaps teach their own children these skills. It’s also another way to spend time together as a family.
Gardening
If you find it difficult to get your children interested in exercising, gardening might be an option. You can teach them about different plants and caring for the garden. This is educational, can involve exercise without them realising and could inspire a strong interest in the environment for all of you.
Go on family hikes
Although going for a walk might not seem much fun if your children prefer staying indoors, you can find ways to make this enjoyable. If you live in a city or urban area, going to a national park lets you see a different side to being outdoors.
You can also make hikes more of an adventure by kitting the family out with suitable clothing and hiking boots, bringing a picnic containing all your favourite (healthy) foods and having a fun destination in mind. This could be a park you don’t usually visit or a country pub which serves hot food. If you’re walking in winter, this is particularly appealing and can encourage you and your family to keep going for the end reward of a delicious hot meal.
Encouraging your family to lead a healthier lifestyle can work if you find fun ways to do this. It also allows you and your children to learn and spend time together, as you teach them useful skills and show them how leading a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be boring.
