Exercising as a Family

Living Well...together, while apart

Encouraging kids to exercise on a regular basis will develop health habits and a love of movement that can last a lifetime. Exercising together as a family reaps other short- and long-term benefits. 

We had some fun doing a deeper dive into some of these benefits and hope you these will inspire you, your partner, your parents, and your kids to embrace the habit of moving and exercising together!

Better Fitness & Health: Okay… we don’t really need to list all the incredible benefits that accompany regular physical activity, but just for fun, here we go: For adults, teens, and kids alike exercise enhances cardiorespiratory fitness, builds strength, facilitates healthy weight, improves sleep, increases concentration, and reduces stress, anxiety, and depression. Moreover, families who exercise together will see their attachment, social development, and emotional management improve.

Shift in priorities: While many parents struggle to make time for their own exercise regimes, when the planned workout includes their children, the priority is suddenly markedly higher! Moreover, making exercise a daily priority sends the message to your family that movement is vital.

Role models: Parents: It begins with us. Our kids look to us as they figure out how to navigate the world, create habits, and understand what is important. What could be more wonderful than setting the stage for your kids to seamlessly embrace a healthy, active life?

Exercising together is one great way to model. As is ensuring your own workouts are a priority. Talk openly with your kids and partner about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. They’ll start to notice you’re in a better mood after your yoga session or morning run and will start encouraging you to do it!

Leadership: Effective leadership includes the ability to encourage and help others, demonstrate courage, and communicate in both a positive and constructive manner. Leading your family through your exercise and sport sessions modeling these skills will set a great stage for your kids and teens so they – when it’s their turn to lead! – get to practice and understand the challenge, responsibility, and enjoyment that comes from taking a leadership role. Extra bonus: when it’s their turn to lead, they get to pick the activity!

Connectivity: Sharing the sweat and effort, giggling as you each struggle over a tricky move, setting and achieving goals together. Exercising as a group not only facilitates spending time together, it creates shared experiences you can talk about, even bond over, and will help you find similarities and embrace differences. If this new commitment fosters questions and discussions about the importance of exercise and healthy lifestyle choices, all the better.

Habit forming: Just like brushing your teeth, great habits are more easily formed if they begin when we are young and are encouraged and done on a regular basis. The development of an exercise habit is one of the greatest gifts you can give the people you care about.

A few tips for making this awesome initiative work for you and your crew:

• Keep it simple. You can do something as simple as adding a short group walk after dinner and then see where things go!
• Include everyone in the conversation – especially in the choice of activity!
• Try a variety of things until you find something that everyone enjoys or at least sees as a valuable use of time.

• Make chores or yard work into a fun, active challenge. And never underestimate the power of great tunes to keep everyone smiling, moving, and grooving!
• Make exercise cool: Your 8 year old might think it’s cool to jog with Mom… but your 12 year old may far prefer a round of frisbee golf, some mountain biking, or creating an obstacle course with you.

• Make exercise purposeful: Walking the dog, biking to and from a destination, scavenger hunts in the park, or learning a new skill.
• Find an instructor who is good at coaching kids and adults too. Having an unbiased/unrelated person coach makes your family a TEAM and puts everyone on their best behaviour!

Need a coach? We have some great ones! And you don’t necessarily need a coach for every session. Let us help you get a great routine established and then run with it as a family! We can check in strategically to keep you all on track and progress and change to keep everyone motivated and engaged.

Sources:

J. Coto et al., 2019. Parents as Role Models: Associations Between Parent and Young Children's Weight, Dietary Intake, and Physical Activity in a Minority Sample. Matern Child Health J. Jul:23(7):943-950.

D. Sigmundova et al., 2020. Parent-Child Physical Activity Association in Families With 4-to 16-Year-Old Children. Int J Environ Res Public Health. Jun 5;17(11):4015.

Today’s Inspiration

“Although downtime is important, many people spend far too much time inactive, so when families exercise together, they gain the combined benefits of being together, growing together and encouraging each other to be active.” – Jocelyn Penna, Sport & Exercise Psychologist

Today’s Live Workouts

Happy Monday! Ready to get moving to start your week off right? We’ve got TWO classes on the schedule for today!

TOTAL BODY CONDITIONING WITH ROBERT S

Join Robert S today for a Total Body Conditioning workout! Challenge your cardio and strengthen your muscles from head to toe with this incredibly effective no-nonsense bodyweight training.

No equipment needed today.

Join Robert at 12:00pm (30 minutes) from your own living room.

Click here to join the workout.

Meeting ID: 864 5295 2847
Password: 991724

YOGA FUSION WITH ROBERT Y

Join Robert Y today for our new Yoga Fusion workout! A combination of hatha, ashtanga, and kudalini yoga techniques. This class will engage your muscles, open your joints, calm your mind, and lift your spirits. (All levels)

No equipment needed today.

Join Robert at 5:15pm (45 minutes) from your own living room.

Click here to join the workout.

Meeting ID: 899 4248 0739
Password: 624126

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE

Click here to view our weekly schedule.

If you have questions about our virtual live workouts, please reach out to Lauren.

Today’s Trainer Moves

Filmed over a year ago, Lauren takes you throughout what a family workout looks like for her and her family! Find exercises that work for all of you and spend the time getting them done together!

This Week's Special Event

On Friday at 4:00pm, end your day by joining Lori & Jamie for a high-energy, fun Dance Party workout! They'll work through some famous dance steps and shake off the work week.

The Party will feature iconic dances from the 80s and 90s! Stay tuned to Friday's class reminder email which will include the link for joining this fun class!

Today’s Bite

Club Sandwich

Missing our Clubs? We do too!

With ham, turkey, bacon, and 3 slices of bread, the club sandwich is a little piece of the club experience. The mile high sandwich is the perfect lunch to make at home. Use good bread and toast it just enough so that the better melts in as you spread it on. The order is important and traditional so stick to it!

Click here to download this recipe.

For more amazing recipes like this, check out our Spice of Life Recipe Book.

Ingredients:

• 3 pieces sliced bread
• Butter, softened
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• Romaine
• 2 tomato slices
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pieces bacon, cooked
• 1 thick slice cheddar
• 2 slices turkey
• 2 slices ham

Directions:

• Toast bread until golden, then spread a thin layer of butter on both sides of every slice.
• Spread mayonnaise on one side of one slice of bread. Top with lettuce and tomato slices, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Place bacon slices on top.
• Spread mayonnaise on both sides of a second piece of bread and place on top of bacon. Top with cheddar, turkey, and ham. Spread mayonnaise on one side of the last piece of bread and place on top of sandwich, mayo side down.
• Secure with toothpicks and cut into 4 triangles.

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Do you have a “Something of the Day” you’d like us to share?! Email Meg.