No matter what your health goals are, good nutrition and physical activity is important. This year, start to make family health and fitness a priority. And if you've been doing this all along, keep up the good work!
To help get you started on the fitness track, we spoke with Mike Silverman, director of sports at City Parks Foundation, who shared his top tips for making family fitness fun for adults and kids of all ages. The foundation just announced registration is opening in March for its free youth programs that are held in parks throughout the city. Kids can enjoy sports such as tennis, golf track and more—all at no cost for parents!
Family Health and Fitness Tips
1. Exercise – As a family, find an aerobic exercise that you can enjoy weekly together. At least 20 minutes of exercise for a minimum of three times a week can go a long way. Walking, cycling, jogging, tennis and more are perfect to do within a comfortable heart rate zone.
2. Stay consistent – Whatever you do, keep going all year long to see longtime health benefits. Don't just make a New Year resolution, make a lifestyle change and stick to it together. Hold each other accountable; no excuses!
3. Warm up and cool down – Don't underestimate the importance of a good warm up and cool down together before and after exercise (like stretching or yoga). Practice controlled breathing with slow inhalations (and slower exhalations) to calm and energize the body.
4. Stay hydrated – Drink plenty of water and fluids before, during and after exercise.
5. Cut down on sugar – Monitor your sugar consumption. Sports drinks and juices are great, but make sure they are low-sugar. You can also dilute high-sugar drinks with water to reduce sugar content.
6. Keep it convenient – Sometimes making exercise more convenient will keep you and your family on track. Consider setting up a home gym that everyone can access with simple exercise equipment such as bands, physioballs, weights and mats.
7. Get outdoors – On mild or high temperature days, get outside for natural sunlight early in the day to set your circadian rhythm to help you sleep well.
8 – Learn a new sport for life – Check out free sports programs in your neighborhood, such as the City Parks Play free youth programs in local NYC parks. It's a great place to start learning a new, healthy program for life.
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