Simple Tips for a Healthy Family

We always hear on the news how prevalent childhood obesity is in the United States. The good thing is that we can easily inculcate a healthy lifestyle in ourselves and with our families without fancy exercise equipment or costly gym memberships.
Following are some suggestions that are ready to use right now:
1). Walk As Much As You Can:
You already know it’s better to go short distances by foot rather than by car. Think about your typical day, it’s easy to find times when you could skip your car and just walk or bike. Going to the gym? Maybe to the corner store for a gallon of milk? Try walking or biking! If this isn’t practical for some reason, you can try to take the stairs, park further back in the parking lot, or get off a few stops early if you take public transportation. Kids love competition, so see who makes it to the store first- this simple tip will encourage activity in your children.
2). Just Move
Try to make a habit out of moving. You can raise your fat burning fire by a fifth simply by keeping your body in some sort of motion- even just tapping your foot while reading- all day long. Strange but true. If your kids are moving throughout the day, it’ll be easier to put them down for naps and bedtime.
3). Get Out During Lunch
If you eat at the cafeteria at work or school, why not take a walk to a local restaurant or coffee shop, especially when it’s warm out? Even just eating quick and spending as much time walking or being otherwise active will make a big difference in how you feel. It will help relieve stress, burn calories, and make you more productive because you’ll be more focused.
4). Stay in Touch
It’s so easy to jump online and send emails and IM’s to our friends these days. It might be nice to be able to stay in contact with those you love, but it does encourage a sedentary lifestyle. In fact, most modern smart phones do all of the above functions! Of course, you can’t always be near your loved ones- especially if they live states away from you. But walking to visit friends and neighbors is a simple way to stay fit. Those with children should bring them on these visits- children learn by example, so set an active example. Let them ride their bicycle, inline skates or just walk to their own friends’ houses. This is a healthy way of getting kids to be more active.
5). Take the Stairs
If you aren’t happy with your figure one easy way to incorporate exercise, taking the stairs is an easy and powerful way to get into shape. In fact, not only are you building muscle and toning your lower body, but using the stairs for 15 minutes can burn a whopping 145 calories! If you are in a rush and need to use the elevator, try and use it on the way down instead of up- you’ll even save a little wear and tear on your knees this way.
6). Get to the Core of Things
Wherever you are, whether it’s your car, the line at the store, or waiting for the bus, one easy way to strengthen your core is to pull in and flex your stomach muscles for 60 seconds at a time.
7). Get Up and Dance
If you have kids, you already know how much they love to dance, so why not join them? You’ll burn a lot of calories if you dance- and it’s also a lot of fun particularly when done with a partner. Try dancing during everyday chores like laundry, cooking, or house cleaning.
There are plenty of other things you can do from planning (and cooking) healthy meals together to taking up a family sport together, but these tips are simple and manageable for even the most busy families.