Maintaining good health and fitness is extremely important. However, it can be difficult to establish a routine for the family. The key here is to find a fun and suitable way to make workouts fun for everyone. It is generally said that habits developed in childhood are easily carried on in an older age. So, while some things may or may not work for particular family members, instilling healthy habits is the best way around.

Set goals
The first step towards working on health and fitness is clearly defining an aim. While one’s personal goal might be different, it becomes important to set a fitness goal for the family as a whole to encourage them. For this, take inputs from each family member to see what they want to work on. Then, as per the comfort level and the physical safety limits, a plan can be created and put in the common area of the house.

Make family time active
One of the best ways to inculcate healthy habits in the family can be through collective activities. Including a daily family walk, hike, or bike ride into the routine so that it also becomes a way for everyone to spend time together is a great way to encourage fitness in the family. Whether on the weekends when everyone can spend more time or on weekdays after dinner for a limited time, spending active time as a family can be highly beneficial.

Encourage time away from screens
One of the most attractive yet harmfully unhealthy ways to spend time is sitting in front of a screen. Irrespective of whether it is related to work or leisure, it is important to limit screen time and make some healthy changes. So, it might be a good idea to track the screen time of every family member and introduce some healthy boundaries. Providing some alternative options for spending time throughout the day also helps greatly. Also, one must lead by example by implementing healthy screen habits, including movement, so other family members can watch and learn.

Advocate playtime
While it can be easy to blame unhealthy habits on people’s busy schedules, they are actually very easy to correct. Even small amounts of time reserved for entertaining activities with one’s family and children can help greatly. At any suitable point in time, spending even thirty minutes thrice a week as a family engaged in hide-and-seek or hopscotch works well. Whether after dinner or after school, playing sports like basketball, soccer, or any other physical activity that is fun for everyone is a great way of spending time together.

Balance work and play
For most people, working out or engaging in physical activity particularly can be monotonous, making it difficult to sustain. So, it is a good idea to reach the correct and suitable mix of work and play, especially when working as a family. The best way for this would be to contribute to the household duties together, such as cleaning with some music in the background. This way, not only is everyone having fun lending a hand around the house, but they are also subconsciously engaging in physical activities like stretching and walking, thereby increasing their energy.