Holiday Fitness for the Family

Holiday Fitness for the Family



I don't have to tell you that the average American gains 5-12 pounds during the holiday season because you already know that. With presents to buy, decorations to hang, and families to care for, how can you stay on track with your fitness without the guilt? You may be expecting me to tell you to just realize any time you spend working on you really does benefit your family too. That's true but I realize a mental shift like that doesn't happen overnight- especially during a time of year when most of us focus more on being with our families. So today's post is a quick tip about how to make fitness a family affair without your family feeling like they just got drafted to participate in your workout program.

Here is a fun family workout that can be disguised as "play time" or "blow off steam time".

Spend a minute at each station (or doing each activity) and then take a quick water break and switch. Repeat 4 times for a quick 20-minute workout.

Family Workout
#1: Medicine Ball Squat and Toss
This a partner exercise where you squat and then toss a weighted ball between partners. No ball? Then just squat and toss with an "air ball". You will still get the heart pumping effects.

#2: Bob and Weave
Tie a rope at waist height between two objects (two chair work well) and duck under and come up on alternating sides of the rope while travelling the length of the rope and back. You can even add a puch when you come up to make it harder. No rope? Imagine one and still get low when you duck.

#3 Stair Runs
Use an aerobic step and "run" up and down the stair. You can even make a friendly competition to see who can get the most steps in any given round. No aerobic step? Use the first stair on a staircase in your house or just do fast feet over a line.

#4 Jump Rope
No explanantion needed here. No rope? Pretend.

#5Push Up Challenge
Get as many pushups as you can in the minute. Again perfect opportunity for a little friendly competition here. Can't do full pushups? No problem, place your hands on chair to make the exercise less challenging and get it done.

Give this a try with your family and let me know how it goes with your comments below in the comment section.