Family Fitness

Family Fitness

J. Zweifel

Incorporating the family is a great way to get fit! 

The American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend that adults ages 18-65 get a minimum of moderate-intensity aerobic activity for 30 minutes, 5 days each week or 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity 3 days each week (Haskell et. al 2007).  Even though these numbers might seem a bit overwhelming, working fitness into the family’s routine can be easier than it sounds.  According to the CDC (2011), children are recommended to get 60 minutes of physical activity a day, so playing together can help fulfill everybody’s recommendations.  Not sure where to come up with extra time?  Try turning off the TV an hour earlier.  Though it may mean missing a favorite show, it could also mean more quality family time and more time for fitness.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children limit television  time to no more than 2 hours per day (Pediatrics 2001), so trade sitting around for an hour after dinner for walking, jogging, climbing stairs, jumping rope, riding bikes, or dancing.  Everyone is also recommended to engage in muscle strengthening exercises at least twice a week.  This doesn’t have to mean hitting the weight room.  Families can have push up or sit up contests, head to the playground and swing on the monkey bars, go swimming or play tennis together to work in the muscle strengthening component (CDC, 2011).  If the adults of a family start to incorporate healthier habits, this can have a very positive influence on the children in the family.

 

Remember: Fitness is fun and fulfilling as a family!

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. (2011, November 9). How much physical activity do children need?  In Physical Activity for Everyone. Retrieved January 19, 2012, from http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/children.html

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. (2011, March 30). Aerobic, muscle- and bone-strengthening: What counts?  InPhysical Activity for Everyone. Retrieved January 19, 2012, from http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/what_counts.html

Children, adolescents, and television. (2001, February). Pediatrics, 107(2), 423-426.

Haskell, W. L., Lee, I., Pate, R. R., Powell, K. E., Blair, S. N., Franklin, B. A., & Macera, C. A. (2007, August). Physical activity and public health: Updated recommendation for adults from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, 39(8), 1423-1434.