5 Easy to Follow Health Activities for the Whole Family
Trying to live a healthy lifestyle can prove to be an uphill battle, especially when managing busy schedules and a host of personal and professional responsibilities. However, incorporating a few simple behavioral changes in your daily routine – from eating healthier or finding time for yoga – can have a significant positive impact on your family’s overall health and well-being. Join us as we explore 5 health activities your whole family can participate in!
Simply Eat Better is #1 of Health Activities
Eating healthy is often touted as a challenge. However, in reality, all it requires is planning and consistency. For instance, rather than burdening yourself with cooking each day, consider cooking meals in batches and storing them in microwave-safe containers, according to Good Housekeeping. This way, not only will you ensure your family eats healthy daily, but it’ll lead to monetary savings as well.
If, currently, your schedule doesn’t provide you much time to cook, even on weekends, hiring a meal-prep service is the way to go. Most meal-prep services have a large menu that covers the tastes and preferences of everyone in the family, including kids. Additionally, you can also provide them with a list of restrictions and food allergies post-which your service will start using alternative ingredients.
Keep Health Documents Organized
When it comes to taking care of your family’s health, keeping health documents organized is one of the first steps to take. Instead of relying on physical copies of records, scan all documents to create digital copies that can be stored on your phone(s) and accessed or shared anytime, anywhere, especially during unforeseen circumstances. However, remember to save your document as PDFs, as they can be password protected and easily stored on the cloud.
Clear Clutter and Stress Simultaneously
As reported by Real Simple, a dirty, cluttered home can harm the mental health of everyone in the family. From an increase in irritable moods to reduced satisfaction with being at home, clutter is a problem that needs to be addressed. This can be really tough, though, when you have a busy family! An effective solution to this problem is to include the kiddos. By gamifying the task, you can make decluttering one of your fun health activities. Shape the experience positively so they associate good things with picking up after themselves.
Additionally, consider adding houseplants around your home to promote a positive living environment. Plants serve as natural stress busters and help to purify indoor air of toxins.
Health Activities Include Walks With the Family
You might be surprised to learn that people who live in neighborhoods that are reasonably walkable weigh six to ten pounds less than those who don’t. Encouraging children to participate in daily physical health activities from a young age will help them develop long-term healthy habits, so if you’re fortunate enough to live at a location with a walk score of 70 or better, hit the sidewalks with your loved ones on a routine basis.
Health Activities for Work and Errands
Exercise not only helps to maintain a healthy weight, but it also strengthens muscles, promotes happy moods, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases. Even if your workday schedule is packed, you can be creative in how you squeeze in your steps. As just a couple of examples, you can take the stairs instead of the elevator and take a quick walk around the block on your breaks. Carry this over into your errands when you’re with your kids, and you’ll be modeling great behavior for them.
Final Thoughts on Health Activities for the Whole Family
While making these changes can seem a lot at first, all of these options simply require consistency, as the benefits are bound to make it feel worth the effort. Get your steps in at work or in your neighborhood, eat healthier, and focus on maintaining a clutter-free home. Safely store your health documents as well. Incorporating these health activities will make your whole family better off, now and in the future.
