Spending quality time with your kids while boosting your fitness is a great way to build your bond
For some parents, scheduling in family time can feel a bit overwhelming on top of work, errands, and getting to the gym only to find weekends packed with must-do activities. Why not find ways to combine time with your kids and your workout?
Not only will you be able to spend focussed time with your children – no iPads or smartphones allowed – but you’ll also encourage them to build healthy habits by introducing exercise as a regular practice from a young age. Making these workouts a regular practice will also help instill discipline and an understanding of teamwork in your kids, important skills that they will carry with them through life.
Exercising with your kids will also open up the channels of communication and give you a hands-on opportunity to encourage them, helping the family unit stay stable and close. Encouragement during these times is considered more positive and will benefit your child’s mental health, as well as build their confidence and self-esteem.
These activities also be a lot of fun, they will also help your kids form fond memories of spending time with their dads while growing up. Including your kids on your fitness journey doesn’t have to stop at exercise – you can extend this into the kitchen by teaching them about proper nutrition.
More and more options are being made available to people with children and certain fitness centres are no exception. As they get older, children are allowed into the main gym under parental supervision which can offer a great opportunity to bond over a workout, whether that involves hitting the weights section of trying a new class together.
If you prefer not to sign up for a membership, you can always exercise in the comfort of your home. You could follow guided exercise videos or just take advantage of the space you have to keep your kids moving. Depending on the ages of your children, during your workouts they can make great alternatives to weight equipment, provided you can convince them to keep still:
If your kids are still toddlers, the same principles apply, but they might just think your workout is more of a strange game than anything else, but they’ll more than likely have loads of fun flying through the air while you feel the burn and break a sweat:
Don’t think just because your child is still a baby that they can’t join in your workout. As it turns out, babies make the perfect workout partners for core exercises while you spend important moments bonding with them. Who knew?
Regardless of your child’s age or your fitness level. It’s never too late to start getting healthier and make it a fun, collective family effort!
Healthy Living is a frequently updated content section brought to you by the Saudi Sports for All Federation. In the spirit of supporting our #HealthyActiveCommunity, we’re sharing tips around wellness, physical activity and more!
