6 Ways To Get The Kids Involved In Our Healthy Lifestyles

Kids, bless their little messy hands, can really disrupt our daily routines. Especially when it comes to workouts and meal planning. There are additional tastes and needs to factor in, and we might not have the time, freedom or budget that we used to, so options become more limited. And, of course, we want to lead by example to give them a head start when it comes to managing their own health later in life too. So, let’s look at ways we can incorporate the kids into our healthy lifestyles!

1.     Make it regular and non-negotiable: Kids thrive on routines, so establish a regular time for workouts, pop it on your fridge planner, and make it part of everyday life — just like teeth brushing, they might not always like it, but they know we have to do it.
2.     Get their input: Kids love to feel included in decision making, so give them a few options and let them choose their fighter (e.g. which way you go for a walk, which YouTube workout you do, which fruit they eat for morning tea, which veggies for dinner).
3.     Make it fun: If your kids need a little more assistance staying engaged in exercise, or you want to keep them entertained while you do your own routine, turn a workout into a game. Set up an obstacle course, have a relay, implement a reward system, use an activity spinner or dice that determines which exercise they do, use music as a timekeeper.
4.     Use props: If you’re doing a weights routine, try giving the kids their own equipment: an exercise ball, yoga mat, skipping rope, elastics (remember those!?), field markers, hula hoops, hacky sacks, etc.
5.     Group fun: Choose an activity that will get the whole family’s heart rate up. A family bike ride, running races, dance party, soccer game, etc.
6.     Set goals: Just as we have health goals, help them set their own. It will give them a big sense of accomplishment and deliver positive reinforcements around exercise and nutrition. Keep them light and easily attainable. For example: try one new vegetable this week; do 10 rotations of a skipping rope without stopping; learn to do a cartwheel; drink X cups of water a day (our Steph Pase Planners water bottles come with their own water intake tracker), etc.

How do you get your kids involved in your healthy lifestyle? Let me know by tagging me on socials #stephpase.

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