Written by Dr. Jennifer Shu
Although the weather outside may be frightful, you don’t need to stay by the delightful fire all the day long to be warm. All you need to do is get active! Children should get at least 60 minutes of exercise daily, no matter what the weather looks like. Here are some easy ways to keep your family warm—and fit—during the winter!
Get outside. Bundle up the whole family and take a walk around the neighborhood, go ice-skating at a rink, or head to the mountains for a fun day of skiing and snowboarding.
Take it inside. It doesn’t matter if it’s icy, rainy or windy outside if you encourage indoor sports such as basketball, gymnastics, swimming and soccer.
Housebound hints. Can’t leave the house? No excuse! You don’t have to leave home if you break out the jump ropes, hula hoops and sidewalk chalk to turn your home, yard, or driveway into a playground.
Game on! If your child likes games, try active ones such as Twister Moves High School Edition, a bean bag toss, Dance Dance Revolution, or Wii Sports, which includes video game versions of tennis, baseball and more.
Remember to stay wet. On the inside, at least. When the air is dry (especially with indoor heat) and during exercise, remember to keep your child hydrated even though he may not feel hot or sweaty. Avoid sweetened drinks such as hot chocolate or cider, and offer water regularly. By the time your child actually feels thirsty, she could already be a little dehydrated.
Please share your tips for staying active in colder weather!
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Great article Dr. Shu! One way that I keep my family active during the winter is by using netflix’s online workout videos. We also like to play some music and just dance away for 30-45 minutes. Children love to see their parents being silly and just playing with them.
Finding a nice indoor place to walk is another great way to workout and involve the whole family.