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Making sure that our family’s physical health and fitness are taken care of can sometimes be a challenge, especially when the schedule’s a little tight.
During our life-skills classes for parents & teens, we are often asked, “Our family is busy, how can we maintain excellent physical fitness & stay in shape?”
But the great news is, there are amazing tips that can help you and your family achieve good health and stay in shape, even when life gets a little busy.
Without further ado, here are a few of our top tips and strategies for everyday people who want to prioritize nutrition & fitness in their lives:
Disclaimer: This advice is not from trained nutritionists or exercise physiologists, but rather from everyday people like us who have made health and physical fitness a priority for them and their families, and they have used these ideas & tips successfully in their lives. Consult with your physician before beginning any exercise or dietary plans for yourself or your children.
Tip #1: A Friendly Competition Within The Family
Our family loves having competitive 30-minute workouts, you could try it too.
Split into teams of two and then draw a dry-erase board with the exercises and number of reps written across the top, while each person’s name is written vertically down the left-hand side (color-coded in pairs to represent the teams).
As each person completes an exercise, check their box.
When the timer is up, add up the number of checkmarks each team got, and the team with the most marks wins!
We guarantee you that it’s a fun way to stay active together as a family.
Tip #2: Read “Eat this, Not that”
“Eat this, Not That” is a book that examines the nutritional information of items on the menus of popular restaurants in America and helps you identify which ones are suitable to include in a healthy diet. It provides insight into how meals can add up to an unhealthy amount of calories and fat if not done right.
To have a balanced and healthy diet, the daily calorie intake of a man or woman should be around 2,000-2,500 calories per day with no more than 30% or 67-83 grams of fat.
This helps ensure that you get all the nutrition your body needs while avoiding unhealthy levels of fat and calories.
The book gives examples that may be shocking for you – like how some restaurants and food chains do not include the calories and fat content of any drinks, appetizers, or desserts.
But did you know? A side order of fries can easily add an extra 500 calories and 20 grams of fat to a dish, while some desserts can contain as much as 1,200 calories and 85 grams of fat!
Other examples of recipes and their food composition:
- Chicken & Spinach Salad has 1,600 calories and 118 grams of fat
- Grilled Chicken & Avocado Club Sandwich with 1,750 calories
Our research has also found that some entrees contain an unbelievable 2,500 calories or more. This goes to show that even if a food item sounds healthy, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is.
Look, we’re not trying to discourage your family from eating outside, or even consuming food in general. What we want to emphasize is that we must become more mindful about what we eat, as it could have a massive impact on our health in the long run, especially if left unchecked.
Furthermore, you must do your research before deciding what to buy at grocery stores and restaurants. For example, smoothies may have up to 1,000 calories and close to 200 grams of sugar – that’s more sugar than 6 candy bars!
Tip #3: Weekly Workout Schedule
Twice a week, my two buddies and I supplement our weekly cardio routine with a convenient 40-minute workout that includes 30 different exercises. We often invite our kids and/or spouses to join us too!
Our workout routine stretches all the major muscle groups and provides an opportunity for friendly competition, where we can still go at our own pace and adjust the weights accordingly.
Here are some exercises you can include in your workout routine:
- Push-ups
- Ab crunches
- Air squats
- Calf raises
- Runs down the block and back
- Dumbbell curls
- Tricep extensions
- Chest flys
- Spin bike rides
- Rowing machine workouts
- Shoulder presses
- Pull-ups
- Dips
- Lunges
Tip #4: Quality Time And Exercise With Spouse
Quality time with your spouse is essential for a healthy and happy relationship. One of the best ways to ensure that you and your partner are spending quality time together is to engage in physical activities that both of you can enjoy.
Exercise is one of the most beneficial activities that couples can do as it allows them to bond while getting fit and staying healthy.
Find an activity or two that your wife enjoys and make it a regular part of your schedule – this will help to bring you closer together and give you both the benefit of exercise at the same time.
Here are some couple activities we highly recommend:
• Take a walk together
• Go for a bike ride
• Go for a swim
• Play tennis
• Try couple yoga or pilates
• Participate in sports activities like basketball, soccer, or volleyball.
Not only are these activities great physical activity options, but they also provide an excellent opportunity for teamwork and bonding.
Conclusion
This article provides 4 amazing and helpful tips on how to make healthier choices when it comes to food and staying fit.
It’s crucial to become more mindful of what you eat, such as researching the calorie and fat content of meals before eating them and limiting high-calorie drinks, appetizers, and desserts.
It’s also important to create a sustainable weekly workout routine with your family and loved ones. You could even turn exercises into something fun like a friendly competition.
In this way, you get to eat healthy, bond and connect and become physically fit together with your entire family.
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