Exercises for the Whole Family

If you’re like me and my family, you’re always looking for something fun to do together. Somehow, we always end up doing the same things—movie nights, shopping, or playing board games. And while I love making memories with these activities, I’ve noticed that we avoid the outdoors.

I mean, we live in Texas, where it’s usually smoldering hot, so it’s difficult to find motivation to get outside. But excuses aside, we need to be more active. I’ve researched some exercises for the whole family and found a couple that are really fun and engaging, even for my toddler, that you might enjoy as well.

Yard Work

I mean, this one is a win-win and I’m all about conserving our time. We sat down as a family and drew up a new look for our outdoor space. Then, we went to our local hardware store and bought gardening supplies. The kids loved this outing and being involved.

When we got home, we got to work. Pulling up weeds, planting new flowers, laying sod, creating landscaping, laying mulch. From heavy lifting—soil and mulch bags are heavier than I expected—to the constant movement of pulling weeds and planting flowers, we got in a great workout. And everyone had fun doing it.

And it can be an ongoing lesson for the kids. We will continue to take care of our yard and get in some much needed exercise.

Walking the Dog

Again, this one is a win-win. Our dog loves to play catch, but it’s been so hot that it’s hard to give him the exercise he needs and get the exercise we need. So we decided to change our lifestyle. We’ve started getting up earlier and taking the dog for a walk before it gets too hot outside. Or, if we miss a morning, we opt for an evening walk.

This one has been a good bonding experience. Going on walks around the neighborhood, we’ve had a chance to really talk as a family and get to know each other better. We talk about our goals for the day and for the future, we look for new things in nature that we’ve never noticed, we skip, do lunges, and have fun exercising.

Charity Walks

To really drive home our goal of healthy living and exercise, I signed us up for a charity walk. It’s not a 5K and we aren’t training, in that sense, but we’ve been talking a lot at home about being more conscious of our health and fitness. After starting out slow and working our way to daily walks and indoor exercises with dumbbells and YouTube videos, we’re ready to put in extra work to make a difference in our community. Charity walks are fun and teach such a valuable lesson.

Exercising doesn’t have to be at the gym or with equipment. Walking, cleaning, gardening, and so many more daily activities can be a great way to stay active. What are some ways you incorporate exercise into your daily life?