Physical activity is important for everyone. It’s good for your body and your brain and should be part of your daily routine. But getting everyone in the family to do it, including the little ones, is challenging. So, we’ve put together some easy and fun exercises that the whole family can do together at home.
The importance of staying physically active
First, here’s why it’s so important to stay physically active, not just for your physical health, but your mental health too.
Improve your cardiovascular fitness – regular exercise gets your heart pumping and strengthens the muscle. This allows more blood and oxygen to flow to other muscles around your body. It also helps to lower blood pressure, improve memory and brain function and better sleep.
Boosts your energy – aerobic exercise also delivers more blood and oxygen to your brain, which means you’ll have more energy to do everyday tasks. Plus, you’ll be able to concentrate better and think more clearly.
Enhances your mood – physical activity can also make you feel happier. When you exercise, your body produces more endorphins, which are known as feel-good chemicals. They can help you feel more relaxed, reduce anxiety and enhance self-esteem.
6 family-friendly exercises
On top of all the benefits for your body and your brain, fitness should be fun to do. Here are some simple exercises that the whole family can enjoy indoors or in the garden.
- Jumping jacks – getting your feet off the ground is an easy way to get your heart pumping and improve your aerobic fitness. Simply stretch your arms and legs out like a starfish and start jumping.
- Bear crawls – alternatively, getting on all fours and crawling on your hands and feet can be a great way to strengthen core muscles and enhance special awareness.
- Squats – bending those knees will help build endurance and strengthen lower body muscles. If your little ones need some help, place a stool behind them to guide how low they need to bend.
- Lunges – similar to squats, lunging forward, backward or side to side is an easy way to strengthen and stretch leg muscles.
- Skipping – with or without a skipping rope, skipping is a great all-round workout. It increases your heart rate and strengthens core muscles.
- Yoga – stretching your body has just as many benefits for your mind and body as exercising. Yoga can help to reduce stress, improve your breathing, increase range of motion and keep muscles flexible and strong.
Take turns working the whole body with the Ab Doer 360
The Ab Doer 360 is an at-home training machine which combines ab-toning, muscle-shaping and aerobics into one simple and fun core fitness exercise known as Abdobics. The first thing you notice about it is that it looks like a chair. That’s because you perform all the Abdobics exercises while sat down. So, not only do you get a great workout, you get to do it without having to hit the floor. You lose weight, build your core muscles and strengthen your back, all from a sitting position.