Staying Active with the Whole Family this Summer

Did you know that in the month of May we celebrate National Physical Fitness and Sports Month? Every year, this time is used to promote the importance of physical fitness and activity for all Americans. This year, the White House even issued a statement at the start of the month to kick off the importance of focusing on physical health and wellbeing in light of the effects of COVID-19 on our nation. 

As you already know and most likely experienced this past year, the work from home and school at home became the new norm for many American families. In fact, we are still working from home in my own household... and things kind of feel normal this way for us. Our family developed a routine where our family gets outside for regular walks, time at the playground, and make arrangements so my husband and I can go for runs in the neighborhood or workouts in the garage. Like many Americans, we’ve made do this past year. 

We live in a neighborhood association and our home faces the main street that runs through our neighborhood so we get a view of all that’s buzzing about outside. In this year alone, we’ve seen so many people get outdoors due to gyms and parks closing. I’d have to say, it was motivating to see neighbors from all around getting outside and taking the initiative to take care of their mental and physical wellbeing. On the daily we got views of people walking, bike riding, skating, and on weekends the local Stroller Strides group of moms and dads would pump their music down the street while jogging with their babies. 

On the flip side, the reality is that not everyone has had the same experience (or opportunities) to maintain an active lifestyle during this year. As we already know, a larger than usual percentage of Americans have suffered a mental illness or breakdown this past year and that includes children. Read more about this topic from our post on safeguarding your child's mental health. As a parent, it’s quite universal to say that we want to see our children thriving, so how can we help them in this way?

The U.S. Department of Health actually posted earlier this month ways for parents and kids to take control of their health and get active through their initiative, “Move Your Way”. They actually have some great resources and an interactive tool to help you map out your child’s day to see if they’re getting enough physical activity per day. They’re saying that kids between the ages of 6-17 need to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day. The great thing is, they offer many fun ways to incorporate physical activity for children, even if your child prefers screen time over sports. Head over to https://health.gov/moveyourway for more tips.

“Getting active can improve fitness and reduce stress, reduce risk for many chronic diseases, and ease symptoms of anxiety and depression. Youth sports can help kids and teens get active and develop leadership, time management, and relationship-building skills.”

- U.S. Department of Health

Thankfully, our nation is seeing a positive turn of things reopening and most of the local sports programs in our town are back in session. I’m excited for the opportunities to get out and get active this summer with my kids so I thought I’d share some of the ways that my family will be intentionally staying physically active this summer.

My kids are still young at ages 2 and nearly 5. Feel free to use this list as a springboard to build your own list of activities that fits your family’s interests to stay active this summer!

Need ideas for your kids this summer? Check out our 20 Family Summer Bucket List Ideas.