Fall Family Fitness: Stay in Shape Together as the Seasons Change

To become a fit family, it's important that you get moving with activities that you all find enjoyable. Otherwise, you'll end up with a grumpy group and your future suggestions for healthy outings will be fought tooth and nail. Make fitness fun so that it becomes part of your lifestyle, not just another chore. And while you might think of spring and summer as the best seasons to get the whole family active, autumn offers a bounty of active family outing possibilities!

Go on a craft hunt.
Fall is a wonderful time so get creative using nature's materials. Give everyone a small bag, a light jacket and a bottle of water (even though it isn't hot out, it's important to stay hydrated). Take a brisk stroll through your neighborhood or head to a nearby park and search for items that can be used in crafts once you get home. Colorful leaves, acorns, pinecones, pieces of bark and seed pods can be used to make harvest season placemats, picture frames, swags and more.

Pick out some produce.
Another option that's available in the fall is orchards and pumpkin patches. Make a day of the outing by packing a healthful picnic and drive to a nearby farm to pick your own apples or choose a rotund orange pumpkin to take home. And when you come home with an abundance of fruit or squash, find some wholesome recipes you can all make together. Still have too much? Fill a basket with extras and deliver them (by foot!) to an elderly or shut-in neighbor. Not only is the exercise good for building strong bodies, acts of kindness are great for building strong characters!

Rake for fun.
If you have a yard full of autumn leaves, get the gang together and rake away. But don't just stuff them in trash bags, at least not right away. Rake them into a backyard maze, and then use a stopwatch to see who can make the best time getting through it. When that game has run its course, rake the leaves into a pile and hide a few toys or other surprises in it. Once the treasures have been found, rake the leaves back into a pile and let everyone have a few turns jumping in. It's just as fun as you remember!

Throw the pigskin.
As you are probably well aware, due to the fact that your husband is glued to the TV every Sunday afternoon, fall is football season. Have some fit fun by throwing a nerf ball around the yard in an impromptu game of touch football. It doesn't matter if you don't know all the rules; the kids will have a blast as you chase them around the yard. And you will, too!

Shake your booty!
As the season progresses, you'll find there are some days when it's just too chilly to get outdoors. That doesn't mean you can't still be active. Turn the TV off, flip the stereo on, and have a family dance party. Have mini dance-offs to see who can dance the silliest or craziest, or grab the broom and limbo in the living room.
No matter the season, every day is another chance to share fitness with your family. Look for opportunities to be healthy while having fun. Before you know it, you'll find that you all look forward to getting and staying in shape together!