Making Movement a Family Activity with Sworkit

Exercise doesn’t have to be something you do on your own, away from or without your family.

Instead of viewing exercise as a separate activity where you have to work out at a gym or follow a set routine, why not try thinking of it as daily movement or even a family activity?

When you begin to change your perspective and language around movement, you allow yourself to view daily movement as not only vital and important, it also becomes a way to bond with your family. You might even find yourself looking for ways to creatively infuse movement into your every day life.

Think about it — on days when you’re pressed for time and don’t want to compromise family time, you can get your workout in — just in a unique way!

Why Make Movement a Family Activity?

You have the opportunity to help your kids establish healthy fitness habits from a young age.

One study shows that “family-based interventions present a much-needed opportunity to increase children’s physical activity levels.”

2. It helps kids experience new things, develop character, increase social contact, and it’s something they can enjoy. Additionally, it gives your kids team-building skills and confidence in a hands-on way.

3. Daily movement can become a normal rhythm of your life, and your kid’s lives when you lead the way.
In other words, if you value and enjoy it, your children will be more likely to adopt it and enjoy it as well.
Another study tells us that it’s much more likely that your kids will be involved if exercise is already a part of your lifestyle.

How Can you Make Movement a Family Activity?

Here are some tips to making movement with your family possible:

Get the kids involved! (If they’re old enough), ask them what they’d like to do for movement together.
Keep trying. It may take time to find an activity that you all enjoy doing together, but just by setting aside the time to do it however often you see fit (be it weekly or daily), eventually, you will find something!
Find kid-friendly options. If it’s exercise led by an instructor, make sure they know how to lead both kids and adults. This is one reason why Sworkit works so well for families — the “kids” filter and workouts are kid-friendly exercises led by other kids.
Not enough time due to a full-time job or job outside the house? Plan it on the weekend.
Working remotely or stay-at-home parent? Schedule it into your day!
Go slow and stay safe. Start out with activities that kids can complete in bursts and that don’t require a lot of previous skill, training, or verbal instruction. For example – an outdoor bike ride in a new area with some pre-planned family snack breaks will help your kids stay motivated to keep going. If you’re working out at home, pick exercises that are the most beginner-friendly to you. This will help prevent injury, encourage your kids to continue, and you’ll avoid the frustration that comes from trying to explain what you’re doing and why.