The Benefits Of Family Exercise: Bonding, Improved Health, And Big Adventures

Written by Henry Moore
Updated April 10, 2018

Families today often have a difficult connecting with one another due to all of the activities and distractions that pull people apart in today’s busy society. Bringing everybody together to exercise can be a great way to both bond and improve everybody's health, and there are plenty of fun ways to get active together that will appeal to family members of all ages.

Family Exercise Produces Big Benefits

Spending time exercising together as a family provides an opportunity to reduce stress levels, improve everybody's fitness and overall health, and reconnect when life gets a bit crazy. The Family Focus Blog notes that not only does family time strengthen bonds, but it tends to improve the academic performance of kids, reduce behavioral issues, and even reduce violence and drug abuse in teens, which is especially important for teens with high-risk personality profiles.

Active family time can take many forms. For example, some families enjoy gardening together, shares SheKnows. Of course, there are traditional activities such as biking, walking, hiking, and swimming, and other activities like fishing, camping, flag football games, and sometimes even embracing volunteering activities can be a big hit. Many local recreation centers offer a great variety of family activities and intramural sports that can be a load of fun for the whole family as well.

Family Dog Walking May Be a Great Fit for Your Crew

For families that want to take their bonding to the next level, something like becoming dog walkers might be a great idea. Entrepreneur notes that dog walking can be a big business opportunity in many communities, and this is a service that can utilize the entire family. This can be a very flexible business idea that can spark some fun family time together.

A venture like family dog walking allows the family to work together and spend time together and it provides some great low-intensity exercise. Dog walking also gives families the chance to meet a few new neighbors, play with some fun dogs, and even earn an extra bit of cash. It is easy to get everybody involved on some level and putting together a family venture like this can not only get everybody active, but it can teach some great lessons about planning and building a business as well.

Embracing an opportunity such as a family dog walking business can pave the way toward some additional family adventures too. For example, you may want to stash away all of the cash earned by walking dogs into a fund that will go toward a family vacation or group goal such as to be put toward a visit to an amusement park, a camping trip, or some other active outing.

Family Time Can Spark Big Physical and Mental Health Improvements

Quality time with family produces great health benefits and being active together can lead to both improved physical and mental health. Huffington Post shares that family time can reduce stress and loneliness, and spending quality time being active with loved ones can have a particularly significant impact heading into the tween and teen years.

There are plenty of ways that families can come together and get active as a group and have fun. Family exercise can reduce everyone's stress levels, improve physical fitness, and boost overall health, and the improved connections within the family are a big bonus. Get creative about how to get active as a family and reap the rewards that come as a result.

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Contributor: Henry Moore

About the author:

Henry believes travel can change you, and good health preserves you. He combines both in his work on FitWellTraveler.com.

Don't forget: part of having a healthy lifestyle and establishing the groudworks of one for your kids as they grow up is to eat well, too. Your diet is just as important as the excise you get, and will only benefit your overall health levels. If you don't have a good place to start, I'd recommend FreshDirect. They have healthy meal kits for you family to enjoy, as well as an easy to use online grocery store that delivers directly to your door.