Family Healthy & Fitness Day - September 27, 2014

As if giggles and smiles aren’t enough of a reason to get active with your family, Saturday, September 27, 2014, is Family Health & Fitness Day.  This national health and fitness event promotes family involvement in physical activity, one of the goals of the U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health.

Look to your local health clubs, schools, park districts, hospitals, YMCAs/YWCAs, malls and other community locations for organized family-related health and fitness events to celebrate Family Health & Fitness Day.  If you can’t make it to an event, here are some easy, inexpensive and fun suggestions to have your own Family Health & Fitness Day at home:

Build a Fort and Go Exploring

Kids love the unexpected.  Building a fort with chairs, blankets and other items found throughout the house not only exercises their brains, but also exercises their muscles, especially when you use that fort for an exciting twist on hide and seek.

Nature Hike

You don’t need to go to a local park in order to have explore nature.  Go to your backyard, take a walk through the neighborhood.  Look at the trees, the flowers, the bugs, the rocks.  Kids will delight in the time spent with you as they learn about the nature surrounding them.

Family Team Sport

Kids delight in seeing their parents play their favorite sport with them.  Anything from football to soccer, baseball to track.  Set up a simple “field” in the backyard or inside and play away.  It doesn’t have to be fancy, you don’t even have to own the correct equipment.  The most important thing is that you’re active and with your kids.

Family Olympics

I think this is one of my favorites.  Anything slightly competitive gets my family going and you can set this up to where each family member has an event they’re sure to win.  You can have a gymnastics competition, hopping on one foot contest, crab walking race.  It’s up to you and your family.  Bonus for any sort of awards ceremony complete with “trophies” (decorated cups, anyone?).

These are just a few suggestions for your Family Health & Fitness Day, the possibilities are endless.  The most important thing is that you’re with your family and moving.  Remember, it’s never too late to create life-long habits for your little ones.  Creating a love of movement helps your kids live their healthiest life possible.

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