You don’t need a gym membership to be active, maintain good health, and have fun this summer.
With obesity rates drastically increasing over the past 20 years and the cost of health insurance plans and health care costs already difficult for some families to finance, it’s more important than ever to engage in physical activity to reduce your risks of health problems. Joining a gym isn’t affordable for everyone, so now is the perfect time to take advantage of the free, always accessible alternative you have at your disposal—the outdoors.
Enjoying family outdoor activities this summer will help you and your children prevent weight gain and maintain a healthy lifestyle, not to mention have fun together. Considering that obesity now affects 17 percent of all children and adolescents in the United States, a rate that has tripled since the last generation, exercise and outdoor activities for kids are just as important as physical health among adults.
Use the following list of family outdoor activities for ideas that will bring your family together and keep everyone healthy this summer:
Walk around the block together after dinner. Walking regularly has proven to improve cardiovascular health and even help you lose weight.- Hike a trail or mountain, depending on where you live. Hiking has also shown to improve cardiovascular health while helping you lose weight.
- Go for a bike ride. Riding bikes is exciting for kids, provides exercise for people of all ages, helps improve balance and endurance, and will get you to your destination faster.
- Go swimming, whether in your own pool, a friend’s pool, or a public pool. As a low-impact activity, swimming often provides so much fun that you don’t even realize you are burning more calories per hour than nearly any other activity. Swimming has also proven to improve strength, flexibility and cardiovascular health.
- Encourage your children to join a sports team or test their skills at a new physical activity. If they decide to join a soccer team, take time to practice with them in the backyard before games.
- Visit a local park, playground, or recreation area. Plan a weekend day trip to a state park or even a vacation to a national park.
- Provide your kids with toys that require physical activity, like balls, kites and jump ropes. Organize a family basketball game, or teach them new jump roping tricks.
Engaging in family outdoor activities will encourage your loved ones to maintain healthy lifestyles, minimizing their risks of obesity and other health complications. For more information on health insurance plans as well as health and safety tips, please subscribe to our blog or contact us.