African father and his two daughter morning exercise at home.
If you’re a busy working parent, it can be challenging to fit a daily work-out into your schedule. But we all know that moving regularly is a key to physical and mental well-being. It helps us to increase stamina and strength, lower stress, and boosts our energy. Incorporating exercise into family life is a great way to get the movement you need, whether it’s a brisk walk, a bike ride or simply dancing to your favorite music in your living room together. You’ll motivate each other and have a lot of fun.
Here are a few tips from Thrive Challenge winners that are easy and enjoyable for everyone.
Try hula-hooping with your kids or grandchildren.
“I get my whole body going, arms waving and hips swinging.I was inspired by a co-worker to buy a weighted hula-hoop and now I do it with my five grandchildren who live locally. I love it. I have 7 hoops at home (mine is the only weighted one) and they don’t cost much. Anytime we have outdoor parties all the hula hoops come out. And three of us can spread out in our living room on a rainy day. We all laugh at each other. There are no contests because the older boys can do it for a long time. The rest of us get our exercise picking our hoops off the floor! It’s such fun.”
––Linda Simmons, New Port Richey, FL; $5K Winner
Create a home gym, put on upbeat music, and work out as a family.
“At home I like to work out with my teenage sons, Brian and Deon. They motivate me to do more. We have a treadmill and an exercise bike and we listen to R&B and urban hip hop, like Jaheim and Rod Wave, which keeps us moving and the boys and I work out together. But you don’t need any equipment to get moving. It’s great because we all have a good time and for the boys it’s time away from playing games on their phones. It’s also bonding.”
Have a family dance party and include all the kids in your exercise routines.
“I’m a single mom and have found fun ways to work-out with both my kids. We all have a great time jumping around and dancing to Maroon 5, it’s our own little party. My 4-year-old daughter, Jahzara, joins me doing push-ups and other exercises and I use 1-year-old daughter Jakiah as a weight, doing squats, which she loves. I also take the kids to the park, we run around and I get on the swings with them.”
—Kaynesha Briggs, Neighborhood Market #7299; Port St. Lucie, FL; $5K Winner
Elaine Lipworth is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster who has reported for a variety of BBC shows and other networks. She has written about film, lifestyle, psychology and health for newspapers and magazines around the globe. Publications she’s contributed to range from The Guardian, The Times and You Magazine, to The Four Seasons Hotel Magazine, Marie Claire, Harpers Bazaar, Women’s Weekly and Sunday Life (Australia). She has also written regularly for film companies including Fox, Disney and Lionsgate. Recently, Elaine taught journalism as an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University. Born and raised in the UK, Elaine is married with two daughters and lives in Los Angeles.
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