Is your family’s idea of getting active heading to the fridge during a commercial break? If so, then maybe it’s time for a change!

With conditions like diabetes and heart disease affecting younger children, it’s never too early to introduce a healthy lifestyle. Exercise for the sake of exercise is certainly effective, but kids generally aren’t excited about running on the treadmill for 20 minutes. Staying active is the key to combating these dangerous conditions, and finding fun activities that involve the whole family is a good way to turn regular activity into a habit.

There’s no better time to introduce kids to fun ways to be fit than Family Health and Fitness Day on September 28.

How Will Your Family Participate?

Maybe you already have plans in place for celebrating this unique day. If not, we are happy to provide you with 10 fun ideas for getting your family moving.
 

1. Host “Family Game Night”

Video games have come a long way. Today’s games often include active aspects, particularly if you have a Nintendo Wii or Xbox Kinect. All ages can participate in a game of Wii Bowling, or you can challenge each other to a dance-off using one of the fun dance-themed games for the Kinect.

2. Check in at the Y

Many YMCAs across the country are hosting events for Family Health and Fitness Day, and often these events are open to the entire community whether they are members or not. Drop in to your local YMCA and see if they have any family activities planned.

3. Host a Swim Party

The weather can be a bit iffy in late September, so think indoors. Community centers and local high schools often host open swim times for families for a small fee.

4. Get Lost in a Maze

This is the time of year when farms and pumpkin patches open their gates and welcome the community. Visit a local pumpkin patch, take a trip through the corn maze and walk the perimeter of the patch. It might be too early to take a pumpkin home, but you can always come back in a couple of weeks!

5. Go for a Bike Ride

Biking is a great activity that’s easy on the joints and fun for everyone. Ride through the park and feel the leaves crackle beneath your tires or find a local bike trail. Don’t forget your helmets!

6. Craft a Treasure Hunt

Grandparents, are your grandchildren coming to visit on Family Health and Fitness Day? Plan a small treasure hunt in advance complete with a treasure map and small hidden treasures like bubbles or boxes of crayons. You’ll have fun setting up the hunt, and your grandkids will have even more fun tearing through it!

7. Go for the Gold

The Winter Olympics are on their way, so give your family a chance to show off their best skills. Do you have a budding gymnast or a talented dancer? Maybe one of your kids can sprint with the best of them while the other has incredible basketball skills. Play games, host competitions and bring out the best in your family. Have some gold medals to pass out too. You can easily make these by wrapping decorative foil around cardboard squares.

8. Working at the Car Wash

Do you think washing the car sounds like a boring job? We can guarantee that your kids or grandkids don’t. What’s better than the chance to cover the family vehicle in suds (with maybe the opportunity to squirt big brother with the hose)? If you don’t have space at home to wash the car, head over to a do-it-yourself car wash station.

9. Take a Hike

Kids love family nature walks, and late September is a perfect time for them. Take notebooks and pencils, or print out a checklist of local flora and fauna, and find a great trail at a city or state park.

10. Pass It On

What were the games you played when you were a child? Maybe you chased around your friends in a game of kick the can, or you hung on tight during a round of Red Rover. Teach your kids or grandkids the games of your youth, and then enjoy an evening playing them together. Don’t be surprised if you see your kids teaching them to their friends in the neighborhood the next day!

Check out www.fitnessday.com for more information about Family Health and Fitness Day.