Fitness-Forward Family Fun!
Gather your friends and family.
Push the couch up against the wall, slide the coffee table out of the way, move all breakables into another room, and gather your friends and family for some fun, gross-motor fitness-based games and challenges!
Challenge others to a few movement-based competitions!
A belated but very happy Valentine’s Day to all, and a warm welcome to the approximate late-middleish stretch of winter! As schools close for winter break toward the end of the month, the opportunity to spend time with family and meet up with friends abounds. Create memories with some of these playful, movement-based competitions and challenges for a dash of fitness-focused family-fun friendship-facilitating festivities!
Fitness can be really fun!!
Remaining active through the lifespan is a very important concept if you have goals of feeling and performing your best at any and every thing that you do – and who can’t agree with that?? Prevent exercise burnout by keeping things fun during your fitness endeavors. Sharing that fun with the people you surround yourself with most will encourage an atmosphere of physical wellness that penetrates and influences your thoughts and actions around wellness and how you interact with your environment, and all for the better! Re-install some fun into your fitness, or help to instill it in others around you, and give some of these a try:
Obstacle Course – Set up a DIY obstacle course using household items. Include challenges like balancing on a beam (a plank or tape line), crawling under chairs, jumping over pillows, and carrying an object while walking. Or, take it outside and use snow banks, sleds, and whatever else you can come up with to build a snowy course that’ll challenge your stability.
Animal Walk Races – Each family member picks an animal (e.g., crab walk, bear crawl, frog jump) and races across the room or yard.
Freeze Dance with Balance Poses – Play music and dance; one person is in charge of the freeze by pausing the music whenever they want. When the music stops, everyone must freeze in a balance pose or a yoga pose (tree pose, warrior, etc.). See if everyone can stay in the position for 30 seconds, then play music, dance, and do it again!
Simon Says (Active Version) – Incorporate balance and strength moves like “Simon says stand on one foot”, “Simon says do a squat”, or “Simon says hop like a bunny”. Easy for indoor or outdoor accommodations.
Tug-of-War – A classic strength-building game that also improves coordination and teamwork. Probably best to take this one outside – talk about learning your balance points trying to pull on the snow!
Plank Contest – See who can hold a plank the longest, or make it fun by adding high-fives or passing a ball while holding the plank.
Snowball Dodgeball – Like the gym class version, but with snowballs! Avoid getting beaned by tapping into your tiger-like agile side, while learning the practical lessons of traction and body control!
Sled Pull Challenge – Take turns pulling each other on a sled for a strength workout. See how far each of you can run UP the sledding hill while pulling someone. Or, drag the sled around the yard to create a track, then take turns running time-trials for the bragging rights.
Snowball Relay Race – Carry a snowball on a shovel from one side to another without dropping it.
Give some or all of these a try, or be inspired to create your own games and challenges that match your fitness level or interests, but most importantly, have fun!