National Exercise With Your Child Week

Studies have shown that physical activity can have both an immediate and long-lasting impact on the health of family members of all ages, including children, parents, and even grandparents. Sadly, the majority of children aged 6-17 engage in at least 2 hours of screen time every day, but only 25% get an hour of physical activity each day. 

Since today’s modern lifestyle tends to encourage activities that are sedentary, it is more important than ever that parents and caregivers of children of all ages take action steps toward getting everyone in the family involved in physical exercise. And that’s what National Exercise With Your Child Week is all about!

History of National Exercise With Your Child Week

The inaugural celebration of National Exercise with Your Child Week took place in 2010 when it was founded by Sheila Madison with the purpose of promoting family health and wellness.

Instead of teaching kids that healthy exercise and movement is a chore, it’s time to show them (and yourself!) that it can be a fun family activity that brings all sorts of joy and connection – in addition to the physical health benefits. National Exercise With Your Child Week is here to act as a reminder that running, jumping, skipping, swimming, game playing and so many other things can be a delightful way to get in shape, burn calories and bond together as a family.

How to Celebrate National Exercise With Your Child Week

Take a look at some of these ideas for celebrating National Exercise With Your Child Week:

Exercise with Your Child

The first step in celebrating this event is to make a plan. It doesn’t have to be a huge activity – in fact, small and attainable changes are more likely to be implemented as a regular habit. In honor of National Exercise With Your Child Week, make a plan to go outside and toss the frisbee or play catch instead of immediately heading to television or video games. Choose a new event each day of the week just for fun.

Challenge the kids to a game of basketball, or pump up those bike tires and go on a ride out in nature. It doesn’t really matter what the activity is, as long as it gets the heart rate up for a few minutes and creates emotional bonding opportunities for all of the members of the family!

Train for a Race With Your Child

Many charity and fund-raising races now make it possible for all of the members of the family to participate at a distance that is appropriate for their age group. Learn about different races that may be coming up and make it a family project to train for and enter the race, whether walking, running or bicycling. It’s a great way to begin a new habit of family exercise time.

Other events and activities celebrated throughout the year related to children’s health include Every Kid Healthy Week celebrated in late April, National Childhood Obesity Month in September and National Children’s Dental Health Month that takes place each year in February.