Sisters Nina Goodall (R) and Ivy Goodall, follow a Zumba lesson online at their home in Kaipara Flats on April 02, 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand.
Regular exercise is important for people of all ages and from walks of life. Getting children to be active and enjoy sports or physical games is a great way to get them interested in being active. Don't worry if you didn't grow up playing sports or hate the idea of working out, because these exercises will feel more like fun than a chore.
1. Frisbee
Frisbees are super-inexpensive and super fun! Take a walk to your local park or vacant lot and let the game begin. Even if you can't grasp the technique of tossing the frisbee perfectly to your target, it's pretty funny watching it go the complete opposite way. Everyone can learn how to aim together, and once you start to get the hang of it, frisbee can be a great cardio workout! Take it to the next level once confident in your family's skills and begin moving around to up the difficulty level of making it to the target.
Check out this video tutorial on the ways you can throw a frisbee:
2. Walk/Hike in a Scenic Location
Going for a walk or hike with family is a great experience because you're not only being active with minimal strain to the body, but also allows for quality time spent with your loved ones. Switch up the scenery by going to a park with beautiful trees or flowers, somewhere with a nice view or body of water. Hiking may seem intimidating, but there are many locations that offer easy trails that aren't going to put too much strain on your body. Alltrails is a good resource for accurately describing the difficulty level of a hike before you go so you can plan a route that everyone can do.
3. Going to the Zoo/Amusement Park
Make a day out of family time to enjoy going to a zoo or amusement park! There's plenty of area to cover at both places and while your family is having fun, you won't even realize just how much you've walked once the day is over. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes though, or you will be feeling tired sooner than later.
4. Playing Just Dance/Have a Dance Party
Brush up on your dancing skills and show your family what moves you've got! Get into the groove by turning on colorful lights or dress up in character for an added dose of excitement. Just Dance is a great multi-player game with songs old and new. Factor in that there is a winner dubbed at the end of each song and make it a competition!
Check out some game-play from one of my favorite Just Dance songs to play:
5. Yoga
Yoga and meditation offers physical and mental health benefits for people of all ages. Yoga is a mood-booster, improves your heart health, flexibility, balance and so much more. Check out these 15 health benefits yoga and meditation for any age and skill level.
6. Biking
Biking has become so popular since the pandemic hit, and for good reason -- it's fun! Biking isn't about the destination, it's about the journey. There's a great feeling when you're riding a bike with the wind in your hair as you zoom down a hill. From cruisers to mountain bikes to tricycles, there's a bike out there for everyone.
7. Roller Skating
Roller skating has made a comeback in a big way. Viral TikTok videos of people grooving to tunes while performing neat footwork has definitely propelled the recreational activity into the mainstream. Take your family to the park or roller rink with music playing in the background and have a blast! Just be careful and work up to fancy moves gradually - you might also consider knee and elbow pads and possibly a helmet.
