Working out with your kids and having fun!
The inability to take your kids out somewhere to have fun can be tough on both you and your kids. So, we’ve got some great suggestions for ways to stay occupied and to get some much-needed exercise at home. Here are a few fun family-friendly workouts that will get the whole house up and moving!
Workout Games
Workout games can be fun and exciting for the little kids (and for big kids!). Plus, playing games keeps kids from feeling like they’re being forced to work out. Here are two great suggestions:
Red Light, Green Light – For this game, choose one person to start as the leader. The leader will pick an exercise, for example jumping jacks. When the leader for this round says “green light,” everyone will start doing jumping jacks. When the leader says “red light,” everyone will stop. If someone doesn’t stop when “red light” is called, he is disqualified. The last person standing becomes the new leader, and you start over.
Simon Says – You’ve likely played this game at some point in your life, but if you have not, or if you have forgotten how to play, we will refresh your memory. Simon Says is a simple game of directives. What the leader, or “Simon,” says, the followers must do—but only if the leader says “Simon says.” The leader tries to trick the followers into doing what he says even when he “slips” and doesn’t say “Simon says.” For example, when the leader says “Simon says, touch your toes,” all followers must touch their toes. But if the leader simply says, “Touch your toes,” then the followers must know to disobey. Anyone who does what he is told without “Simon” first saying “Simon says” is out of the game for that round. For the workout game version, “Simon” will tell the followers to do x amount of a certain exercise. For example, “Simon says do 10 pushups.” If someone cannot complete 10 pushups, he is out. Likewise, if “Simon” does not first say “Simon says” before telling the followers what to do, anyone who does it is out. The remaining person in the round will become the new “Simon.”
Fun Family-Friendly Workouts
Crab walks: This will make everyone in the family laugh! Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Place your palms on the ground behind you. Lift your hips a few inches and walk forward on your hands and feet like a crab; then walk backward. See how long you can do this.
Superman: Who doesn’t want to be like Superman! Lie face down on the ground with your arms and legs extended outward. Slowly lift your arms and legs off the ground as high as you can; keep the neck relaxed and look down at the floor. Hold, then lower. Repeat 5-10 times.
Stretches
After any family-friendly workouts done with kids, follow up with some easy stretches. Stretching keeps muscles strong and healthy. Plus, cooling down with a stretching sequence can help transition kids into a more relaxed state post-workout and help prevent injuries.
Have a family-friendly at-home workout we didn’t mention? Comment below. We’d love to hear from you!
