Building Family Fitness Culture

How do we have our family buy into our active and healthy lifestyle? How do we get everyone on the ‘same page’ and to gel as a team? Maybe you already do this, but you want to take it further. Maybe you’re making a positive change, and you want your partner or kids to join in.

Whatever the reason for wanting to progress the fitness culture in your family, there is no single and simple solution. However, we hope that the following four strategies will assist.

1. ‘Walk the talk,’ let you actions do the talking. So many times, as soon as we start out on a new direction, we want everyone else to join in straight away. There’s an old saying that ‘the best teachers teach at the school of example.’ Children in particular are highly influenced by the behaviour of the adults in their lives. So keep on the straight and narrow, and lead by example. Master the basics yourself and often that will inspire others to join in.

2. Focus on the family member’s positive efforts and actions, rather than pointing out their flaws. Everyone enjoys praise, and every man in particular knows that when they are appreciated for doing something, they want to do more of it. So praise and congratulate, be proud of effort and point out the good things. Be genuine, and do this frequently.

3. Make the home environment conducive to action. Keep the bikes easy to get to. Set up a basketball ring. Set up a home gym if you are pressed for time. Our environment has an influence on our actions. So if access to fitness gear is easy, getting into the action is easier too.

4. Schedule regularly occurring fitness activities into the week. For example, “on Saturday mornings we go to the pool.” This will give you the social time you need together and also the benefits of the physical activity! We hope that if it’s not already, being an active family will become super normal for you. If it already is, keep up the great work!

Feel free to share some of your own strategies below, to help our other followers!

Destiny Health