Workouts You Can Do With Your Whole Family

When you are a busy parent, it can be challenging to get enough exercise. Plus, you are probably responsible for getting your kids to move, too. Unfortunately, an estimated 80% of Americans don't exercise enough to optimize their health (per the Cleveland Clinic). Children aged 6 to 17 should get at least an hour of moderate to intense physical activity daily. Meanwhile, adults should try to get 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate exercise or 1.25 to 2.5 hours of vigorous exercise weekly.

The Mayo Clinic discusses common barriers to exercise, including not having enough time, boredom from repetitive activities, worrying about one's physical appearance while working out, and feeling too tired or too lazy to exercise. Yet another obstacle may occur when your family isn't supportive of your efforts. In this situation, the site's experts advise: "Remind those close to you of the benefits of regular exercise, and then bring them along to exercise."

Although overcoming workout barriers isn't always easy, there are many important reasons to do so. According to the CDC, "Regular physical activity can help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age. It can also reduce your risk of depression and anxiety and help you sleep better." Additionally, exercise can help with weight management, reduce many health risks, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to perform daily tasks. It may even help you live longer. Below, we share some ideas for workouts you can do with your whole family.

For nature-loving families, trekking on hiking trails can be the perfect way to soak in the great outdoors while also getting in a workout. As Pathways shares, "Playing in nature can help children of all ages with their motor skills, communication, social-emotional skills, sensory integration, and so much more!" Adults can also experience a range of benefits from being outdoors, including greater life satisfaction, lower blood pressure, increased immunity, and improved sleep (per Trip Outside).

If your family hasn't done much hiking, choosing the right trail to get started is pretty important. To select the right hike, you may want to ask around for local recommendations. You can also research them via sites like AllTrails. Most trails are classified on a scale from easy (short distances with little elevation gain or obstacles) to more difficult (involving greater distances and elevation gain, obstacles, or technical skills and equipment), per Active. If you have very young children, you'll want to look for a short, flat hike that the whole family can enjoy. On the other hand, older kids and teens may appreciate longer distances that involve scrambling over rocks or climbing up to a ridge or peak.

REI offers tips on how to make family hiking fun. They suggest planning adventures together, using a navigation app for motivation, letting kids set the pace, packing lots of snacks, and enjoying a post-hike reward (ice cream, anyone?). You could also try geocaching, described as "a high-tech treasure hunt."

There are so many great places to swim, from beaches and lakes to rivers and pools. Little kids can even "swim" in the bathtub. No matter where you choose to immerse yourself, swimming offers a full whole body workout you can do with your whole family. According to Just Swim, swimming helps people de-stress and relax, increases energy levels, and lowers the risk for many diseases. And if you don't like to break a sweat while working out, swimming may just be the perfect form of exercise for you.

While swimming offers many health benefits, it also comes with some inherent risks. Safe Kids Worldwide shares that drowning is the top cause of injury-related death in children from 1 to 4 years old, and the third leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for individuals 19 years old and under. Safety experts recommend always watching kids around water, learning CPR and basic water rescue skills, and teaching children how to swim. They should be instructed on five essential water survival skills: stepping or jumping into water overhead and returning to the surface, turning in the water towards safety, floating or treading water, combining breathing with forward movement in the water, and being able to exit the water.

While strength training may not be the first type of workout that comes to mind for your family, it is an integral part of a well-rounded exercise program. Older kids and teens can go to the gym with you, or the entire family can work out together at home. 

Before getting started, talk to your doctor (and your child's pediatrician) to discuss any potential restrictions. The American Academy of Pediatrics offers the following guidelines: "When children or adolescents undertake a strength-training program, they should begin with low-resistance exercises until proper technique is perfected. When 8 to 15 repetitions can be performed, it is reasonable to add weight in 10% increments. Increasing the repetitions of lighter resistance may be performed to improve endurance strength of the muscles in preparation for repetitive-motion sports."

No gym membership or weights at home? There are plenty of exercises that can be performed with just body weight. You can strengthen chest muscles with push-ups, work your core with sit-ups and planks, and generally pump it up with mountain climbers, burpees, squats, and lunges. Although you may want to set up different stations so that family members can work out at their own pace and level, CNN suggests always doing a family warm-up and cooldown together. They also recommend celebrating the end of each workout with a family high-five (we love that!). Parents offers a comprehensive list of fun family strength building activities, including crab toe-touches, inchworms, cartwheels, and supermans.

Some workouts you can do with your whole family don't actually feel like workouts at all. So why not head outside to play an outdoor game? They are usually free, and can boost academic performance, build strength, reduce stress, and improve sleep (per The Important Site). Your family can get started with basic playground games like hide and seek, tag, cat and mouse, or hopscotch. Or when weather allows, try organizing a balloon toss or taking turns running through the sprinklers.

If you can invest in a little equipment, there are many more outdoor game options available. For instance, CNet shares some excellent outdoor game options that you can buy to play with your family and friends. Their highest recommendation goes to Kubb Viking Clash, a simple lawn game that involves tossing a wood dowel to knock over wood blocks. Spikeball, another popular option, is much more physical, involving fast movements and even diving to score points.

Do you have fond memories of jumping rope at recess during your grade school years? A jump rope is a small piece of portable equipment that can really help you shake up your cardio workouts, according to Self. And as many people continue to avoid the gym due to the pandemic, jumping rope is rising in popularity. This fun activity can be done just about anywhere — and the whole family can do it together.

WebMD describes jumping rope as "a great calorie-burner" and good for cardiovascular health. However, it can also place stress on your knees, ankles, and hips, so you should take care to avoid overuse injuries. Dr. Benedict Nwachukwu, an orthopedic surgeon and hip, knee, and shoulders surgery specialist tells Self that in order to avoid injuries, you should start by alternating 30 seconds of jumping with 30 seconds of rest. Once you can do that comfortably, you can go ahead and gradually increase your interval length.

Many kids enjoy jumping rope, so hopefully yours will be enthusiastic participants. If they need some extra encouragement, Scary Mommy lists the best jump ropes for kids, which come in a wide variety of colors and styles. The only other thing that family members need for this workout are comfortable clothes and shoes. Then, you can begin to build skills like criss-cross, double unders, and backwards jumping — check out Crossrope's video tutorials.

Free outdoor play offers many health benefits, both physical and mental. Some physical benefits include improved motor skills, a lower body mass index (BMI), and stronger muscles (per Miracle Recreation). Family members can also develop social, emotional, and intellectual skills with greater self-awareness, an appreciation for the environment, and better communication. To encourage outdoor play, you should aim to keep it fun, since "[c]hildren won't want to go outside if they think it's boring." It is also important to take kids to new places, like different community parks.

Not sure what your family can do at the park? The options are endless. Go ahead and chase the kids around play structures, pump your legs on the swings together, climb on the monkey bars, or toss around a frisbee. If your family enjoys sports, you can also play catch, kick around a soccer ball, or shoot some hoops. How Stuff Works suggests additional park activities like having a picnic, learning about nature, going for a hike, organizing a scavenger hunt, and playing with the family dog.

Dancing together as a family can be a blast — and a great workout, too. According to Healthline, dancing can improve cardiovascular health, balance, and strength. It can also challenge brains, boost moods, and provide a perfect forum for everyone to participate. CNN even discusses "the power of family dance parties when the world is falling apart," with input from Jody Wager, a board-certified dance therapist. To throw a successful family dance party, Wager recommends choosing music with an irresistible beat and allowing kids to select their favorite songs. You can also add a role-playing element (i.e. everyone dancing like a certain animal, or mimicking a leader's movements) or play freeze dance "which kids love — especially when they get to be in charge of the pause button".

Another fun option is to play a dance game such as Just Dance for the Wii. Unlike many other screen-based activities, this one can actually get the whole family moving and grooving. Plus, there are quite a few variations of Just Dance (including "Kids" and "Disney Party"), so it's tough to get bored. Alternatively, some family members may enjoy taking dance classes like ballet, tap, hip-hop, or Zumba together. Look for opportunities at nearby studios, gyms, and community centers. There are also a plethora of options online.