{"id":3664,"date":"2024-03-13T09:55:47","date_gmt":"2024-03-13T14:55:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.tops.org\/wellness-wednesday\/?p=3664"},"modified":"2024-03-13T09:55:51","modified_gmt":"2024-03-13T14:55:51","slug":"making-fitness-family-friendly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.tops.org\/wellness-wednesday\/making-fitness-family-friendly\/","title":{"rendered":"Making Fitness \u201cFamily Friendly\u201d\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Where I live (in the Midwestern United States), it has been unseasonably warm, and snow-free, these last few weeks. This means my daughter and I are starting to resume outdoor workouts together, and solo. Running is one of my fave types of exercise, whereas she often prefers bike rides or jumping on the trampoline with her friends. One activity we often both enjoy is taking our pup for long walks. This gives us time to catch up away from the distraction of our phones and the perpetual list of household chores. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding ways to be active as a family<\/a> can really help you stay consistent in terms of making progress on your wellness goals. Even if you currently live alone, brainstorm types of physical recreation that grandchildren, nieces or nephews, and\/or “chosen family” in your neighborhood or apartment complex might enjoy doing with you.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those with kids of multiple ages, nutrition therapist and Somatic Experience (SE)™ Practitioner Heidi Schauster<\/a> acknowledges that \u201cFinding activities to complement your children\u2019s various movement personalities can be difficult, especially when needs and preferences are different.\u201d Yet she affirms that figuring out how to regularly enjoy movement time <\/em>as a family <\/em>encourages <\/em>a healthy approach to fitness and, hopefully, a positive perception of their own bodies during childhood and adolescence.  <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Making<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cMoving together as a family sets the foundation for appreciating some of the benefits of an active body, as well as helping kids develop skills around balance, teamwork, pacing one\u2019s energy, healthy vs. unhealthy competition, and the list goes on,\u201d says Schauster. \u201cI have heard so many stories from adults who were shamed as children for their natural sedentary or less-coordinated way of moving about in the world. This shame often goes deep and leads to a complicated relationship with the body and physical activity. While many kids and teens learn from adults and the internet that the reason to exercise is to \u2018look better\u2019 or to lose weight, there are so many other reasons to encourage physical activity<\/a>.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s equally important to model proper self-care and rest. Here\u2019s a few simple examples: <\/p>\n\n\n\n