Summer and Family Activity

Summertime is a great time to get out with your family and increase your activity. Encourage every member of your family to increase daily physical activity and have fun at the same time. Be sure to think about what your family can be doing to build in more active time during your busy week.  Discuss with your physical therapist which activities would be best for you and your lifestyle. Here are some suggestions to consider.
MAKE TIME
Identify available time slots. Monitor your daily activities for one week. Identify at least three 30-minute time slots you could use for physical activity. Then, identify two of them that work as family activity time.
Add physical activity to your daily routine. For example, walk or ride your bike to work or shopping, organize school activities around physical activity, walk the dog with your children, exercise while you watch TV, park farther away from your destination. Make time for physical activity. For example, walk, jog, or swim during your lunch hour, or take fitness breaks instead of coffee breaks. Try doing something active after dinner with your family, especially on weekends. Select activities requiring minimal time, such as walking, jogging, or stair climbing.

BRING OTHERS INTO IT
Invite friends and family to exercise with you. Plan social activities involving exercise. Plan a party with physically active games and activities for your family and your children's friends. Develop new friendships with physically active people. A current trend is exercise "boot camps" which offer various intensities and levels to get you moving. Another idea is to start an exercise or hiking club.

MOTIVATE YOURSELFSchedule physical activity for times in the day or week when you feel energetic.Convince yourself that if you give it a chance, physical activity will increase your energy level; then try it. Plan ahead. Make physical activity a regular part of your family's daily or weekly schedule and write it on a family activity calendar.

Join an exercise group or class. Enroll your children in community sports teams or lessons. Exercise with friends who are at the same skill level as you are. Create opportunities for your children to be active with friends. Develop a set of regular activities for you and your family that are always available regardless of weather, such as indoor cycling, aerobic dance, indoor swimming, stretching and strengthening movements, stair climbing, rope skipping, mall walking, dancing, and gymnasium games.

Look at outdoor activities that depend on weather conditions, such as cross-country skiing, outdoor swimming, and outdoor tennis as "bonuses"—extra activities possible when weather and circumstances permit.

*If you are unsure what activities are best for you, please discuss it with your physical therapist or doctor first, and come up with a plan together.