Looking for ways to get everyone out of the house to get some fresh air and exercise?
You can enjoy nature and family time, and get fit and healthy all at the same time with some awesome outdoor activities that the whole family can enjoy.
Staying in shape and healthy is even more fun when you can share this fit lifestyle with your family.
Plus, you can spend more time with your family and strengthen family bonds through exercise.
Keep reading for some outdoor activities everyone will love!
This backyard workout will improve your strength, cardio, flexibility, and mobility. And, it requires NO EQUIPMENT!
Physical Activity and Family Fitness
Outdoor activities are an awesome way to spend quality time with your family in a fun and enjoyable way. Not only this, but physical activity will have numerous health benefits for you and your kids.
Physical activity in children and adolescents helps build muscular strength and cardiovascular fitness, and improves cognition, mood, and sleep!
This makes getting outdoors and active a much better alternative than having the kids inside in front of the TV.
Keeping your kids physically active will motivate them to continue these healthy habits into their adult years. This is especially true when they see you enjoying these activities with them.
Studies show that motivation for exercise in adolescents may be enhanced when they participate in activities that they find enjoyable.
Plus, it is a lot easier to convince your kids to work out if they see it as a fun activity instead of a chore!
See how a simple 30-minute walk is packed with health benefits!
The Best Outdoor Family Activities
Running Trails
Hit the trails, roads, or sidewalks around your neighborhood and enjoy a walk or run with the family. Being out in the sunshine and fresh air is a great way to stay in shape and lift your spirits.
You can go for a leisurely walk, or pick up the pace and challenge your kids to some races. Either way, you will be getting a great cardio workout. And don’t forget, running will also build leg and core strength as well.
Plus, if you are looking to achieve some new running goals, studies have shown that runners experience an increase in performance when training with others.
So running with your family can increase your cardiovascular fitness and improve your run times!
You can go for a nice easy jog, or you can add some friendly competitive sprint intervals to increase the intensity. Another idea is to train for a family 5K and work your way up to entering a race and making it a fun competition.
Biking
Cycling is another great lower body and cardio workout. You will also get a great ab workout as you will engage your core muscles to keep yourself balanced.
You can check online to find out if there are any trails or designated bike lanes in your area to get the family moving.
Family bike rides are a great way to stay in shape.
Studies have found that during exercise, people tend to push themselves harder when they are working out with others, so this is an excellent time to not only train together but improve each other’s fitness.
For example, in a study from the Journal of Social Sciences, 91 college students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions:
- Biking alone
- Biking with a high-fitness training partner
- Biking with someone of lower fitness
The findings showed that people working out with high-fitness training partners worked the hardest. So, if you find that you are lacking motivation, just getting out there and exercising with your family may be the push that you need.
Kayaking
If you live by a lake, river, or even the ocean, kayaking is an awesome family activity. This heart-pumping sport is great for building muscles in the arms, back, and chest while simultaneously giving you a great cardiovascular workout.
And getting out in the open water is a fun way to explore a different part of the outdoors. Whether in a lake or the ocean, spending time with your family in nature while also getting in shape is an unbeatable combination.
Paddleboarding
Paddleboarding is another fun water sport that is an all-over body workout. Forcing yourself to balance as you paddle through the water challenges your core muscles while building strength in the upper and lower body.
Paddleboarding is a unique and enjoyable activity that has been shown to improve aerobic and anaerobic fitness, while also building core strength.
Not only that but paddleboarding has also been found to have psychological benefits and can enhance quality of life!
Tennis
Grab some rackets and head out to the tennis courts!
A tennis match will have you racing across the courts nonstop, making this a great conditioning exercise, but also a fun family activity.
Tennis is not only a great cardio activity but requires excellent core strength and agility. Plus, you will be getting a killer full-body strength workout.
And, because it is a game, you can make it a fun family competition!
Family Hikes
Hiking is an excellent workout for the whole family. Try to find some trails nearby and get everyone out for the day to explore.
Not only does hiking have amazing health benefits, but it also will introduce your family to all that nature has to offer.
Hiking builds cardiovascular fitness, along with lower body and core strength. Plus, hiking on more technical trails will improve your balance and coordination.
Not only is hiking great for your physical health, but this is another activity that has also shown numerous mental health benefits.
Studies on the Appalachian Trail have shown that hiking can increase your quality of life, self-reliance, fun, enjoyment of life, and relationships with others.
So not only will you be improving the physical health of yourself and your family, but you will be building stronger bonds along the way as you enjoy nature and all of its surroundings!
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*Please know that weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info on outdoor activities.
