THE WELLNESS & FITNESS CENTER'S BLOG

Fit Family Lifestyle Month

January 6, 2015, 11:43 pm - Categories: Education

January is National Fit Family Lifestyle Month. This is a time for your family to improve its healthy lifestyle habits. The cold winter months often increase sedentary behavior due to harsh weather conditions. With that sedentary lifestyle, we see a corresponding increase in unhealthy eating practices. Use this month to help make positive lifestyle changes for your whole family.

Many schools in the area will have a Family Fitness Fun Night. This is an opportunity for your family to experience a number of new indoor activities that are fun and beneficial. In addition to the physical activities experienced at the Family Fitness Fun Night, you will find information on healthy eating (both meals and snacks) and healthy living.

Another helpful method for living a fit lifestyle is having Family Meeting Night. This is a set night (I suggest Sunday evenings), where the family plans out several healthy meals and family activities for the next week. Having each member suggest a healthy meal that can be easily prepared will help reduce the fast food frenzy or tendency to eat out (and eat too much). This is a great opportunity to teach each other how to plan, shop, prepare, and cook healthy meals. Family activities can range from a walk in the woods, a pick-up game of snowball tag, skiing, or swimming at a local pool. The important thing is that they are done as a family.

Check out the Parks and Recreation website for winter-friendly activities. Family running events, dance classes, field trips, and more are all available to get you out and moving. There is nothing wrong with going out for a movie as a family as long as it is a reward for doing something active. Our family saves movie nights for days where we have scheduled family runs. It completes the day of family activity.

With January being the traditional time for us to make resolutions and try and change our lives for the better, it is a great time to improve our healthy living as a family. As children grow and become involved in all sorts of extracurricular activities, it is more difficult to have family time. Using the weekly meeting night to plan out quality healthy time for the family to be together will have long lasting positive results.

Take care and ENJOY YOUR FAMILY!!

By: Greg Brondos, Jr, BA, MA Ed., Membership Associate at Valley Health Wellness & Fitness Center

Resources:
Healthy Eating Ideas: www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/ultra_quick_healthy_recipes

Fit Family Lifestyle Info: healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/features-month/january/family-fit-lifestyle-month