Welcome to Day 4 of “Gearing Up Families to go Screen Free“! If this is your first time hearing about the event, please check out our updated tab here. Make sure you check out the giveaways at the end of this post (they are ONLY open for 24 hours- midnight to midnight EST!)
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has standards for what adults (aged 18-64) and children (aged 6-17) need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
For Children:
- 60 minutes a day of activity (most of this should be moderate to vigorous intensity)
- Include strength-building activities 3 days a week (push-ups, gymnastics, climbing, etc.)
- Include bone-strengthening activities 3 days a week (jumping rope, running, etc.)
For Adults:
- 2.5 hours of moderate activity every week OR 1.25 hours of vigorous activity every week
- AND muscle-strengthening on 2+ days a week that include all major muscle groups.
In my humble opinion, these minimum standards they are just that – minimums. As a family, we work hard to get our hearts pumping hard daily (and hope to encourage others to do that too through this blog.) We find it crucial for our health AND our peace of mind and good attitude.
Spring has sprung (mostly…) and it is a great time to get outdoors for exercise. The fresh air has incredible benefits to add to the perks of exercise (including just happier people in general!)
Some tips to get yourselves (and your family!) moving:
- Unplug 
(Hence this whole Screen Free thing…)
- Choose to exercise outdoors (the time will go by much faster than you think!) Hike, bike, walk, ski, run, do yard work, etc.
- Do it as a family or with a work-out buddy. Peer pressure is a good thing!
- Carry a ball with you on a walk and kick it amongst each other. (You’ll be running before you know it!)
- Let kids ride their bikes while you walk.
- Exercise at the same time every day.
- Plan family races. These can be silly too!
- Pick up sticks and use them for walking/hiking.
- Know that you can break up your exercise times. You don’t have to do it all at once (even use 10 minute increments if you have to!)
A little extra “push”published previously on the blog:
Making Time for the Outdoors
A Lesson from Katmai (and other Beloved Dogs!)
1. Liz Bashaw
2. Natasha Kelly
3. Christopher Sorel
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I like to do a bouncy walk to put my daughter to sleep while hiking! That’s how I like to move it!
We have a big park near us, huge, and considering we live in the city have 30 acres of wilderness a mile away is awesome. We like to move it by going there, they have hiking paths, bike trails, and even a few paved paths. That’s how we like to move it.
Definitely with the kids. I took my daughter on a 3 day backpacking trip last year! She loved it
I like to let the little kid in me out and try to involve water whenever possible… it could be hiking to the river so I can take my boots off and play in the shallow water at the edge, going canoeing, or just yard work or washing the car both which need a hose (and possible water fight) at the end!
We just play outdoors a lot. Some of my children and my favorite activities right now are frisbie golf, throwing boomerangs, playing soccer, and simply running/chasing each other. We also do a lot of outdoor chores that get us moving. We use a reel mower, are disassembling a barn, and garden a large plot that we partially hand till.
We absolutely love to go hiking, boating, camping. Anything outdoors. We are a one car family so we walk everywhere- the library, grocery store, the playground. It makes me happy that my son will not associate leaving the house with climbing into the car or some other form of transportation- these days not many people just walk or bike, at least not in our area. I love that my four year old son has never really been a stroller kid- we either carried him when he was a baby or he walks. We have a seven month old who I can’t wait to take on some outdoor adventures as the weather gets nicer- he will ride on my or my husbands back in our carrier and his big brother will walk
to get the kids moving we make walking sticks and decorate them for long hikes. Keeps them interested and motivated. Then whoever spots the most animals wins a special prize at the end as well
We really like to geoacache and that gets us out of the house quite a bit. Lately we’ve taken up rephotography and it’s let us explore new places. We love, love, love snowshoeing but that’ll have to wait until next year for some more snow!
Hiking, hiking, and more hiking.
We like move by biking everywhere to school or running errands.
We take long walks while the kids scoot. As soon as they learn to ride bikes, we’re going riding
My 5 year old just learned how to ride without training wheels so our family is on our bikes all the time!
We live in the White Mountains of NH – lots of outside activities to do all year long. Love hiking season!!!!
We like to walk around the neighborhood and local open spaces. The kids have gotten really good biking our mountain roads! And we always walk to the bus stop – it really is up hill all the way!
I would like to break in those boots in the Wilderness of Quetico in Canada where I go for canoe tripping and hiking. Plenty of rocky hills and very long portages
We like to ride our bikes and take walks and explore our local woods/walking/bike trails. We hula hoop in the yard and have dance parties as well. Love being outdoors with the girls.
I love to take bike rides with the older kiddos. We take turns playing follow the leader. =)
We like to go hiking, mostly, with the occasional canoe or kayak outing.
Eugenie
It was nice here for about a week and half up until it started raining today! C and I have been getting out for daily walks, although admittedly she rides in the jogging stroller. She does get outside time to run around and play in the afternoon, if it were up to her she would live out there!
We walk and hike in the woods.
Walks are a must with the nanny kiddos and Pio between school bus pick-up times or drop-off in the morning. It gives Pio a chance to sleep and the rest of us some morning fresh air and exercise.
Great way to start the day!
I would like to hike more and get my wife and daughter involved. I am sure my daughter would take to it quickly!
I love to “Move It” outdoors via Hiking and Kayaking and typically you will find me with a camera in hand to capture Northern Michigan’s great outdoors family moments
Hiking is our favorite, cause we can all do it
Put the baby in the backpacker, and give him breaks where he can climb/hike/explore on his own some, too!
One of the fun activities we’ve been enjoying outside is playing follow the leader with our son as leader. Up the hill, down the hill, throw a rock into the river, pick up sticks, jump like a frog, wave a leaf, turn in a circle… you get the idea.
Exercising is something I have really never had to do. I was a very active child but nite that I am older I struggle with my weight. Since I moved to a smaller town I have had to learn to be active and be outdoors mute often. I have found that my kids motivate me so, much and I probably would not be active if I did not have them
We have 5 miles of paved trails in our neighborhood through the woods and greenbelt between the houses. But some of our favorite times have been when we go off these trails. It’s amazing how much wilderness is minutes from our home. And we live inside the city!