Who says family workouts have to be boring? Get together as a family and do something that you love to stay healthy.

Exercise is beneficial for everyone no matter what your age. But, sometimes just the word makes you want to hide. Keeping fit doesn’t have to seem like work if you do it with someone else. Here are five fitness ideas for families who want to be healthier and need a little boost in the right direction.

  1. Backyard sports – it’s probably been a long time since you played a game of dodge ball or kick ball. Now’s your chance. Get the family together and start a game on the weekends. This type of stop and start movement gets the heart rate up and works the muscles. Other ideas include basketball game, softball game or volleyball.
  2. Take a class together – for example, martial arts centers have programs from youth to adult. Each person can learn skills and then practice them together. Aerobics classes are another idea for a family exercise session. The guys in the family may not feel co-ordinated enough to do a step aerobics class but there’s always spinning, swimming or kickboxing classes to choose from at your local YMCA or the gym.
  3. Enjoy nature – families feed off of each other. If one person can do it, the others want to try to do it also. Go for a family hike. Parks have some beautiful trails that range from easy to more challenging. Outfit your family with the proper gear and learn about nature together. Along the same lines as hiking is mountain climbing. There are trails here too. Help each other climb the rocks and take in some breathtaking views. Both activities work your heart, lungs and lower body. Even on a cool fall day you will feel the burn and the cleansing sweat of a good workout.
  4. Do yard work – no one wants to choose outside work but if you do it together it can be fun and heart pumping. Take turns mowing a section of the yard. Pushing a lawnmower works the upper and lower body. Rake leaves in the fall. For more fun, jump into the big pile and then let everyone help rake them up again.
  5. Sitting on the deck together. Sometimes it’s just fun to spend some quiet time together on the deck or the patio or even the dock. If it’s a hot night, why not bring out an oscillating fan to keep you cool. Try it once, and you’ll always keep a fan handy for hot days on the deck.

These are just a couple of ideas you can do. Ask the kids what they would like to do. Just go out and have fun.