Your Guide to Raising a Fit And Healthy Family

Your Guide to Raising a
Fit and Healthy Family
Getting Fit, Having Fun, Building Healthy Family Relationships

HEALTHY FAMILY MATTERS
Erica Brooks Healthy Family Finances
http://www.healthyfamilymatters.com http://www.healthyfamilyfinances.com

YOUR GUIDE TO RAISING A FIT AND HEALTHY FAMILY HEALTHY FAMILY MATTERS

Your Family Deserves to Live a Fit, Healthy and Quality Lifestyle - Now
More Than Ever

Today’s family dynamic is much different than it was 30, or even 20, years ago.
Today there are considerably more single parent homes, homes with both
parents working outside the home and homes where the grandparents are
raising the children.

With this change in the family structure and with today’s technology, families
are less active and eating out has replaced family meal time togetherness.

In this report, you'll be given several ideas, tips and suggestions so that you
can stay active, eat healthy meals together and more importantly, create a
strong family bond that will withstand the test of time, no matter what your
family makeup and lifestyle.

You'll learn things such as:

▪ Finding Time in Your Busy Schedules to Spend Together

▪ Meal Planning

▪ Cooking Together

▪ Physical Activities to Help the Entire Family Get & Stay Fit

▪ Getting the House Clean & Getting Fit at the Same Time

▪ And much more...

Here's to a fit and health family where togetherness makes it possible. Let's
get started!

A Healthy Family Starts with a Plan

HEALTHY FAMILY MATTERS , HTTP://WWW.HEALTHYFAMILYMATTERS.COM
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Since most families are super busy with careers, sports, dance, and other
extracurricular activities, it’s important to know everyone’s schedule and have
it on a calendar. The purpose of this is to know what nights you are able to get
the family together for a meal.

Updating the calendar weekly is a great way to make sure it stays up to date.
In addition, use only one calendar for everyone to write their schedule on to
make sure everything is included. For example, when your daughter comes
home and announces she is in the school play, get the dates and mark them
on the calendar immediately.

If your family is technology driven, another way to accomplish this is by using
a calendar program in which you can all share one calendar on the computer.

Plan your family dinners together on the nights everyone is available. If there
are not any nights when everyone is home at the same time, see if there is
something that can be cut out or rescheduled for another night.

Because feeding is the most basic form of caring, sharing meals is one of the
most central of family bonds. Through the mini lessons of table manners,
children learn to share and think of others, by saying “please” and “thank you”.

The following statistics show that families who have at least 4 meals together
are happier, stay together longer and are more successful:

More mealtimes at home was the single strongest factor in better
achievement scores and fewer behavioral problems in children all ages. More
meals at home also resulted in less obesity.

More than a decade of research by The National Center on Addiction and
Substance Abuse at Columbia University has found that the more often kids

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eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use
drugs.

Experts everywhere agree: Sharing meals helps cement family relationships,
no matter how you define "family."

"Sitting down to a meal together draws a line around us," says Miriam Weinstein,
author of The Surprising Power of Family Meals. "It encloses us and, for a brief
time, strengthens the bonds that connect us with other members of our self-
defined clan, shutting out the rest of the world."

Meal Planning

Once you have your schedule set up, then it’s time to plan the meals you are
going to eat with your family. Let’s assume you’ve worked out your family
schedule so now you actually have 4 nights out of each week to sit down
together. Now you want to make those meals healthy because heaven knows
the rest of the meals probably aren’t, especially if they involve fast food.

Planning ahead makes meal time so much easier, so choose food items like
lean meats, leafy vegetables and nice, ripe fruit. Also, stick with whole grains
when choosing bread items like rolls, sandwich bread and cereal.

One system that seems to work well to help choose healthier foods at the
grocery store is to only shop the perimeter of the store. In other words, don’t
go down the any of the aisles and just choose foods from the produce section,
meat, dairy and breads. This way you are avoiding purchasing prepackaged
foods that are full of hidden chemicals and other ingredients that aren’t
healthy to consume.

Teaching your kids how to plan healthy meals and then shop for them is by
taking them to the store with you. I know shopping with kids can be
challenging, but when they are involved and get to make some choices, they
will enjoy shopping more, and they get the added benefit of that quality time
with Mom or Dad.

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When your children are still small is the opportune time to teach them healthy
eating habits. Let them learn that vegetables really can taste good.

One way you can do this is by eating them yourself and when doing so, make
it obvious how good they are by using words like “Yum!” and saying things
like, “This is so good.”

Children really do learn from what they see and hear, so practice saying good,
positive things about healthy food in front of them.

Cooking Healthy Meals Together

Once you have your meals planned out, start cooking them together. This is a
great time to teach your children about healthy cooking, and it affords a great
bonding time.

Cooking doesn’t just have to be about mothers and daughters either. This is a
great opportunity for Dads to show off their cooking abilities to their sons and
daughters as well.

Another option for dads to bond with their kids is while they are grilling.
Grilling is a very healthy way to prepare most of your meats and some
vegetables. Parents, you can teach your kids how to grill properly and teach
them grill safety. This opens up a great bonding time between parents and
kids.

Physical Activities You Can Do Together as a Family

Once you have your family schedule down, you will also be able to see times
that you can utilize to get your family together and do something that doesn’t
involve a computer, a cell phone or a TV.

Walking

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One of the simplest, yet most beneficial activities you can do is walking. With
spring here, or almost here, depending on your location, walking together as a
family can be fun and open up great opportunities for conversation.

Walking is known for its health benefits: reducing the risk of disease, like heart
attack and stroke, helps with weight loss, raises “good” cholesterol and helps
control your blood pressure.

It’s About More than Just Exercise

Walking can also contribute to the making of a healthy family, and you can do
it simply by walking out your front door and around your neighborhood.
However, if you prefer, many communities have nice parks or walking trails. As
you are walking, talk to each other about your day at work or school, your
friends, your goals and your dreams and desires.

This is also a good teaching opportunity. Teach your smaller children about
nature. You can pick up leaves and rocks along the way and explain what kind
of tree they fell from or how rocks are formed. You can also talk about the sun,
moon, and atmosphere and the weather; what makes it rain, windy, cold and
warm or snow. You may even see some animals along the way; they always
make for great conversation.

It doesn’t matter what the conversation is; the important thing is to get out
and walk as a family to boost your health benefits and to bond your family
unit together.

Bike Riding

Another activity that is simple to implement into just about any family
schedule is bike riding. Biking offers a good cardiovascular workout, builds
muscle, increases balance and reduces stress. Most people in America have or
had a bike as a kid growing up and it was often their form of transportation to
school, the corner market or their friend’s house. However, bike riding as a
family can be used for a great workout and spending time together.

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Hiking & Walking Trails

Hiking along nature trails is also a fun family sport that offers great health
benefits, opportunities for conversation, and teaching. Hiking usually requires
additional skills like map reading and is a great opportunity to teach your
children about nature and wildlife. Hiking also includes other skills you may
not use on a typical day; there may be some minor climbing involved over
boulders and you will want to know what plants are safe and which are not for
touching and or eating. You may find some berries along the way that look
delicious to eat, but you will want to be sure they are safe for human
consumption. You will also want to be aware of any wildlife in your area that
could pose a potential threat if you run into them along your hike. Usually if
you stick to the trails designated for hiking, this shouldn’t be too big of a
problem. Check with your local Department of Natural Resources or National
Forest Service before heading out, however.

Swimming

Swimming is my favorite sport of all. I grew up swimming in Olympic size
pools and now that my family and I live near several lakes and beaches,
swimming is an integral part of our summer.

But, you don’t have to live near a beach to enjoy swimming together as a
family. Most communities have public swimming pools where you can enjoy
your time together as a family and get the exercise needed to maintain a
healthy lifestyle.

Swimming uses just about every muscle in your body and water resistance is
greater than air resistance so the muscles have to work harder. Swimming also
promotes better circulation, breathing and helps combat the aging process. In
addition, swimming is one of the best forms of exercise for toning the upper
arms, shoulders and legs. You get great over all body toning by doing the
freestyle, breast stroke and back stroke.

Swimming also has great psychological benefits such as:

• Relieving stress

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• Heightening a sense of well being
• Increasing energy
• Soothes the mind and body

Beach & Water Sports

Other water sports like skiing, wake boarding and beach volleyball are all
activities you can enjoy together as a family.

If you have a water skier or wake boarder in the family, have them teach the
others.

Tubing is another sport that requires some muscle strength. In addition, being
out on a boat offers a small space where there’s usually not much room for the
kids to escape. Take advantage of it and offer some conversation that will get
your kids to open up. Or simply enjoy one another’s time together as a family.

Go for a long walk on the beach. Walking in the sand is one of the best leg
exercises there is and what better way to exercise, than with your family in
beautiful, peaceful surroundings.

Volleyball

Volleyball is another sport that can be played together as a family. We have
volleyball nets in our yard, and as soon as the snow melts and until it flies
again in the late fall, you will usually find us outside spiking the ball over the
net, or at least trying to. You can usually find volleyball nets and balls fairly
inexpensively at Wal-Mart or other sporting goods stores. Believe it or not,
they are pretty easy to set up. It’s a great way to get outside together as a
family and get some exercise.

Tennis

Tennis is a sport that can be fun to get your family together to hit some balls
back and forth. Most local community centers have tennis courts you can use
for free and may even have the equipment available as well. Not only is tennis
fun, but it offers great health benefits.

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People who participate in tennis 3 hours per week, at moderately vigorous
intensity, cut their risk of death in half from any cause, according to a
physician who studied over 10,000 people over a period of 20 years.

Our grandparent’s generation played a lot of tennis. As a matter of fact, my
own grandfather played tennis everyday with his buddies and colleagues and
lived to be 94 years of age.

In addition to the many physical benefits, tennis has also been shown to:

• Build self esteem
• Reduce depression and anxiety
• Aid in continued brain development

Golfing

Golf is a sport you may not typically think of as a family sport. However, if you
begin teaching your kids at an early age, they will most likely pick it up easily
and learn to enjoy it into adulthood. When golfing, try not to use a cart if at all
possible.

Take the kids along to learn how to play but also let them be your caddy. The
walking alone kept will keep everyone in shape and many memories can be
made on the golf course.

Family Team Sports

How about joining a sports team together? Many local churches or
community centers have baseball or softball teams that people of all ages and
genders can join.

Simply get outside and throw a football to each other for half an hour. It’s fun
and rewarding!

Basketball

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Go to a basketball court, (if you don’t have a hoop in your driveway set up),
and shoot hoops with your kids for an hour or so.

Baseball/Softball

Take your family to the batting cages and practice hitting a few balls together.
This can be quite expensive, especially if you have a large family.

If you’re looking for a way to “Play Ball” without spending a fortune, set up
some bases in your backyard or in a park and play baseball or softball as a
family.

Kickball/Dodge Ball
Just like baseball or softball, kickball and dodge ball are two more great family
games. You can play right in your backyard and use markers (stones, tree
stumps, etc.) as bases.

Soccer
Soccer is fun and great exercise for all ages. Set up some goals in your yard or
go to the soccer field near you when it’s available and kick the ball around. You
could also get some other families to join in if desired.

More Back Yard Play for Family Fun

Hula & Double Dutch Anyone?
Other physical activities you can participate in as a family include hula hoop
and jump rope contests. Come on Mom and Dad, you can give it a try too.
Your kids will love to see you swing those hips and jump up and down trying
to keep up with them.

Inexpensive Backyard Games the Entire Family Will Enjoy

Frisbee and Badminton are other great sports you can do right in your own
backyard as a family. Or how about simply playing a game of Tag with your
kids? You’ll be surprised at how much exercise you’ll get just running from
your kids.

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Bocce Ball is a fun backyard game for the whole family. Other fun family
backyard games are Croquet, Bolo Ball, Bean Bag Toss and Horse Shoes. Many
of these games can be purchased fairly inexpensively or be easily homemade
with items lying around your home or in your shed or garage.

Bring Back Your Own Childhood Favorites

Start a game of street hockey. Remember that from your childhood? If not, it
involves a small ball as the puck and some sticks. You may have to teach your
kids how to play, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole neighborhood joins
you eventually. Of course you should only do this in neighborhoods with
minimal traffic.

Some other childhood games you can teach your kids, and play with them,
are:

• Red Rover
• Mother May I
• Simon Says
• TV Tag
• Freeze Tag
• Hide and Go Seek

These are fun activities that get you moving in a variety of ways and once kids
learn about them, they will continue playing them for years to come.

Did you used to play hopscotch in the driveway or on the sidewalk? If you
have a dirt driveway, use a stick to draw the hopscotch board. For concrete or
blacktop driveways and sidewalks, you can use sidewalk chalk. You may be
able to find a plastic hopscotch game at a local store.

Hopping around with your kids is sure to be a memory that will last a lifetime,
along with the health benefits.

Go Fly a Kite

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No, not like the way your children may mean it when they tell their brother or
sister to go fly a kite because they've made them angry either. ;)

On a warm, breezy day take your kids kite flying.

Kite flying is one of many parents' favorite childhood memories. Remember
getting the kite as high as you could?

When it came back down and the next good wind came along you worked
even harder to get it higher than the last time. Ahh…what fun kite flying can
be. Running and the use of your arms is wonderful exercise, but the memories
you make with your kids is the greatest reward.

Mini Golf for Friendly Competition

Putt-putt golf, or miniature golf, is one of a lot of kid’s favorite things do to as a
family. All the fun and bonding you’ll experience as a family make it worth the
cost.

Hit the Playground

Walk to a nearby park and play with your kids on the monkey bars, swings and
a horizontal ladder. Challenge each other to see who can swing the highest,
do the most rotations on the monkey bars or get across the horizontal ladder
the fastest.

Roughing it Can be Great Exercise & Bonding Time

Take the family to the river or across the lake in a canoe. Take turns rowing and
plan a healthy picnic lunch along the river bank or on the beach. You can
usually rent a canoe for a day at a reasonable price, and the quality time spent
outweighs the monetary expense.

Camping is one of the best family fun times in my book. Go to a campground
where you can hike, bike, walk, and of course swim. Take advantage of the
natural surroundings to talk together as a family.

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Don’t forget to spend time together around the campfire in the evenings
reminiscing about the day, planning the next day’s activities or just telling
jokes and stories.

The great thing about camping is that you can do it right in your own
backyard if you want to. No need to spend money on a camping site at a state
park or other place far away.

Winter Time Activities to Keep Your Family Moving

Just because it gets cold out doesn't mean you have to hibernate like bears all
winter. Here are some fun ideas for having fun outside during the cold winter
months.

Be safe and bundle up to stay warm and come inside to warm up frequently
when you're playing out in the snow and wind.

Enjoy the Snow! - In the winter months, shoveling snow together gets the job
done quickly, and is a great workout. Make a snow angel afterwards, which
also works the arms and legs. Be sure to build a snowman and have a snowball
fight too. Your kids will love it! You can head inside afterwards and warm up
with a healthy veggie soup or hot tea.

Sledding – If you've got a hill near your house, sledding is a great way to get
the heart pumping and have fun too. For the older kids, they can pull the
younger ones on the sled for even more of a workout.

Skiing & Snowboarding – Whether it's Cross Country or downhill, skiing is a
great form of exercise the whole family can have fun with.

Cross country skiing is an activity the whole family will enjoy. Not only is it a
great workout for your entire body, but you can also plan other activities
around it like a campfire in the snow.

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Downhill skiing and snowboarding are both sports the whole family can learn
together. Some resorts offer lessons as a family group and this is not only a
great way to get some good exercise, but it brings a family together as they all
learn something new together.

Ice Skating - There are so many health benefits to ice skating: cardiovascular
workout, awesome leg strengthening, and total body workout. Get everyone
in your family together and hit the ice (not literally of course). Holding hands
while you skate and teaching one another tricks or simply how to skate can
form great bonds and memories for your family.

Indoor Activities for Family Fitness

Okay, now that we’ve covered the many outdoor activities you can do as a
family, how about some indoor activities? Whether the weather is cold, rainy
or you just can't get outdoors to get some exercise, being inside is not excuse
for not keeping your fitness and family togetherness a priority.

With today’s technology, gaming system companies have come out with
video systems that help promote fitness. One such fitness system is Nintendo’s
Wii Fit.

Wii Fit is created so that every member of your family can compare their
progress together. There are categories of exercise that are perfect for each
member of your family: Yoga, Balance, Strength Training and Aerobics. If your
family is addicted to video games, or simply just enjoys them, Wii Fit is the
perfect solution for getting your family together for some exercise.

There is also the Wii Sports where your family can play against one another in
sports like bowling, tennis, baseball and more.

If you're looking for more of a traditional workout with a few sports throw in,
you can get just that with EA Sport's Active for the Wii. Active allows each
family member to set up a profile that tracks not only your daily workout, but
calories burned, eating habits and more. You can even set up a 30 day
workout plan to track progress and follow others doing the same in their
forum for 30 Day Challenge Active members.

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Plan a workout schedule that can be done in your living room. Working out
doesn’t have to involve expensive gym equipment. Working out as a family
can be fun and beneficial in so many ways.

Get creative when it comes to how you get your exercise. Think of ways you
can replace pricey equipment with items you have right there in the house.

For instance, you can substitute cans of soup for weights when you need
some extra resistance in your workout. You can also turn on your favorite
upbeat dancing music and make up your own aerobic dance movements or
exercises. Your kids will get a blast out of watching you shake your booty, but
simply moving around in this manner will give you a great cardiovascular
workout.

Compete against one another to see who can do the most sit ups or push ups.
Even if you know you'd lose, participate anyway. It gets you off the couch or
out of the computer chair and doing something that is fun and family
oriented.

Help hold each other’s feet as you do sit ups and have the foot-holder be an
encourager to do just one more and so on.

This will open up opportunities to teach family members perseverance, how
to be a good sport even when they don't win and how win with respect and
grace. It will also teach your children the importance of teamwork.

Put Those Exercise DVDs Collecting Dust to Use

Get out one of those workout DVDs you've purchased and used once (or
never) and gather everyone in the living room for a half hour of aerobics or
Pilates. Your kids will get a kick out of being on the floor and dancing around
with Mommy and Daddy, especially if they are smaller. If you have teens, it
may be a bit harder to get them to join you, but with some persistence and
seeing how much fun you're having, not to mention how good you look, they
will eventually join in.

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If you have exercise equipment lying around your house, get it out and start
using it. Ask your kids if they would like to learn how to use it. Encourage them
to do so. If you have a spare room or space set up a “gym” where you all can
workout together. You’ll be surprised at how fast a half hour goes by when
you exercise together.

Indoor Activities Away from Home

You can take your family roller skating at a rink, even when the weather's bad.
As with ice skating, roller skating is a great cardiovascular workout, as well as
an overall workout for your entire body. Many memories are created when a
family goes roller skating together. Yes, they do still have roller skating rinks. ;-)

Go bowling as a family.

Get one or two lanes right next to each other and bowl to your heart’s
content. It’s fairly inexpensive and it’s great exercise your whole family will
enjoy.

Join a mixed age martial arts class, ballet, gymnastics, or other sports activity
as a family.

In-line skating is another popular form of skating and can be done indoors or
outdoors. Be sure to wear the proper protective gear such as knee pads, elbow
pads and helmets to ensure safety and less injury in case of falling.

Clean Up & Shape Up Too
Cleaning & Exercise Go Hand in Hand

When spring is in the air, spring cleaning often comes to the minds of many
homeowners. Getting your family together and everyone pitching in is a great
way to not only get your home in shape but your bodies too.

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After the snow melts, yards tend to be messy with leaves and branches lying
all around. Raking is amazing exercise for your arms and bending down and
rising up is great for the waist line.

Smaller children, as well as teens, will benefit greatly from the exercise they
they receive when helping Mom or Dad clean up the yard. Not to mention all
the other fun things that happens when a family is outside together.

In the fall, rake the leaves into large piles and take turns jumping in them. This
makes for great photo opportunities as well, so make sure you've got the
camera handy.

Gardening

Starting a garden, or getting your present garden ready for the new season is
also a terrific way to get the family all together. A vegetable garden serves
two-fold in helping your family get healthy and fit. Not only will you all benefit
from the exercise digging and planting, but you'll also reap the rewards of
lovely, healthy, all natural fruits and veggies grown by your own hands.

Flower beds aren’t just for Moms. Many Dads enjoy flower gardening as well.
Why not take the extra step and get the kids involved too. They can learn, help
and get exercise all at the same time. I would even go so far as to say that once
your kids got their hands in some dirt and learned a little about the flowers
they’re planting, they’ll come to love it as much as you do.

Another fun outdoor activity is chopping wood. Teens can get involved with
the actual chopping which is an amazing workout for the arms, but little ones
can get their workout by carrying the wood to the wood pile. Reward
afterwards with a campfire.

Mowing the lawn probably sounds like more of a chore than a fun family
activity. However, if you each take turns, not only will you have a great looking
lawn, everyone will have gotten a great workout as well.

Scrub a Dub Dub – Washing for Fitness

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Window washing is never an idea of fun for most of us, but it can be when
done as a family. The reaching, scrubbing and wiping tones your arms and if
you have to climb a ladder (do so with caution) this works out your legs and
increases balance.

Washing the car in the driveway is a fun summer past time in many
households. With all the bending and scrubbing, your entire family is sure to
get a great workout.

It’s also a great excuse to have a water fight! There is something about the
bonding that happens when your son or daughter “accidentally” sprays you or
their sibling.

Cleaning the Inside of the House

As much fun as you might have cleaning up and getting fit outside, don't
forget about indoors too. After all, that's where your family spends the most
time.

Sweeping & De-Cluttering

Sweeping the cobwebs out of the corners is great exercise for all ages. If your
child is tall enough to reach with a broom or duster, they can join in on the
action.

Cleaning out a closet or junk drawer is a task we all hate to do. But, if you have
your kids and hubby help organize the closet or drawer, the task is done
quickly and everyone in the house knows where those odds and ends are.

Carrying out bags of unused items to take to the nearest resale shop requires
muscle usage of the arms and legs. In addition, everyone benefits from lifting
(carrying boxes and bags to the car), walking (putting items away in their
proper location), and reaching (taking down or storing items up high).

Having your kids and hubby help you with these small tasks not only helps
you get the work done quicker, it also helps get them off the couch.

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Dust Bunnies Be Gone

Dusting is a task even the smallest of hands can do. Given proper instruction
and using disposable dust clothes, little ones and teens may find they enjoy
helping make the house look and feel cleaner.

Vacuuming & Shampooing

Carpet shampooing requires use of the arms, back and legs. Let your family
members run the shampooer across the carpet a few times. This will help take
the load off of you and give them a feeling of accomplishment.

Redecorating

Painting walls can seem like a tedious job, but with the entire family involved
it can prove to be great fun, not to mention all the exercise everyone will
benefit from. Allow your kids to pick out the color they’d like for their room for
starters as a motivator to get them involved. Using a roller brush works the
arms and shoulders, not to mention all the benefits of bending and stretching.

Use this time together to teach about colors, personal styles or simply to talk
about life. In the end, you will have a new and improved home and have made
another family memory.

As if those activities were not enough to get you thinking and start you
planning things you and your family can do together to get fit and healthy,
here are a few more to consider.

More Activities Families Can Do to Stay Healthy

Holidays & Family Gatherings

Create your own Olympics events at a family reunion or Holiday party. Be
creative and come up with games for everyone of all ages.

Walk in holiday parades together, enter activities at an ethnic festivity or join a
charitable function like a Relay for Life event or something similar.

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Go shopping together, even if it’s only window shopping. All of the walking is
great exercise and you can enjoy some family bonding time. Afterwards, top it
off with a healthy lunch or dinner out.

Give Back & Get Healthy at the Same Time

• Adopt a highway, street or park and keep it clean together on a regular
basis.
• Compete in a walk or run for a cause. There are walks and runs of all
sizes that benefit charities and research for diseases such as Autism,
Cancer and many more.
• Create your own fundraiser for a cause near and dear to your heart. You
can do things like a car wash, a run or walk, hold a sports competition,
etc. Get creative but make it fun and keep it moving to benefit not only
the recipients of the funds, but the participants and volunteers too.

As you can see there are so many ways to get your family off the couch, out of
the computer chair and away from their cell phones and video games. With a
little diligence, effort and persistence you can have a fit and healthy family
that spends lots of quality time together doing things that will help everyone
be more successful, have better self confidence and self esteem and live a
happy and prosperous life.

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Your Guide to Raising a Fit And Healthy Family

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Your Guide to Raising a Fit And Healthy Family