KEEP IT TOGETHER

Exercising with the Family

In this age of Playstation and TV, getting your family interested in healthy exercise can be a chore. It doesn’t help when you yourself can’t do much more than collapse into a sofa after a long day. Yet with the right activities, exercising with your family not only benefits everybody’s general health, it also promotes stronger bonds among all members.

Getting Started

First, you need to set an example. Children often do not respond to their parents’ encouragement to ‘go out and play’, simply because mom herself is painting her toenails while saying “The weather’s so good for a swim” – how unconvincing! Go for a swim yourself, and ask the kids and your spouse along with you. If you appear to be enjoying your workouts – not to mention reaping the visible benefits – your family will feel more inspired to join you.

Be positive. Nobody responds to nagging. Instead of complaining, “You’re all so lazy!”, give an encouraging suggestion – “Let’s all go the park for a bike ride!”. Make it an activity rather than a forced, scheduled ‘exercise’ session. You can make it part of a regular family outing; for instance, go to the beach for a picnic and a game of volleyball, or to the park to skate and have ice-creams (don’t worry about putting everyone on a diet – kids can, and should, enjoy an occasional ice-cream!). Make your planned activities fun, a treat to look forward to, especially for the kids.

Healthy Competition

So now you’ve got your family off their seats – what next? Well, team sports are probably one of the best ways to both have fun and educate children on the meaning of friendly competition and sportsmanship, especially if they have siblings. Basketball, football, volleyball and Frisbee are all simple team sports a family can play, or even just you and your child alone. If your family can manage to participate in organized sports together, better yet – you can all hit the golf course together, go for a jog and pace one another, or go kayaking and canoeing.

You can also take classes together – martial arts, dance and aerobics are classes which have no age limits and throughout which you can chart your progress together. I’ve often seen parents who ferry their children relentlessly from ballet to judo to tennis to swimming classes – and then sit and fan themselves impatiently while their kids exhaust themselves under the tutelage of strangers. Why not join in? Not only will your kids enjoy their classes more, you’ll be able to experience and understand their challenges and frustrations.

If you have no time for classes, or prefer to stay indoors, no sweat – include your family in your home workouts. Kids love a challenge, so you can have a competition with them to see who can do the most sit-ups or push-ups, or run with them on a treadmill or stationery bicycle. You can even teach your older kids yoga or basic weight-training, as children tend to be more flexible than adults, and their bodies recover faster; with structured activities like these, though, it’s best to consult an expert at least for the first few lessons, as you may not entirely understand children’s limitations. Even if your child is too young for such exercises, include them by letting them hold the stop-watch and time you, or being your personal cheerleader. Eventually they will want to join in when they can. Never force a child’s attention for too long; once you bore your child, he or she won’t be interested in joining you the next time round!

Unfortunately, though, not all families can co-ordinate their activities. One way to get around this is to co-ordinate schedules instead; while you’re at the gym, your dad can jog. Or you can take up the same sport; for instance, if you are all cyclists, you may not cycle together, but you can share tips with each other about routes to take, and compete with each other over times and distances.

Exercise With Young Children & Seniors

Babies get to join in the fun too! Invest in a sturdy stroller that will allow you to bring your baby on a long walk or jog, or a baby-seat for your bicycle. Baby ‘packs’ allow you to sling your child to your front or back while you trek or hike. As your baby grows and becomes more mobile, encourage him or her with play; TV shows such as Seasme Street, Hi-Five and Barney include song-and-dance segments you can easily perform with your kids.

Don’t forget grandma and grandpa! There’s more to an older athlete than slow strolls and Taijiquan. Veterans make great (and patient!) coaches, especially for their own grandkids; besides which, new skills and sports aren’t only for young people. Learning to swim, cycle or even skate for the first time is a great way for young and old to face a new challenge together.

Perhaps the greatest motivating factor in exercising as a family is the support each member gets from the others. In a study done at Arizona State University, experienced weightlifters were able to lift, on average, five more pounds in front of a supportive audience than when there were no spectators, even though the audience was instructed to be silent! The motivational factor of emotional support can spur your family members on to further and continuous progress. This is especially true if you are participating in an activity you are all familiar with and good at. Beginners, however, tend to function better without the added pressure of spectators; so if your family is just starting out, be sure to be encouraging, not challenging. You’ll soon build a great team together, which will serve everyone as well in life as it does on the basketball court.

Family Sporting Events

Feel ready to take up the challenge as a family? Try tackling these events in future – and have fun! For updates on upcoming sports events you can join, check with the Singapore Sports Council at www.ssc.gov.sg and the Triathlon Association of Singapore at www.triathlonsingapore.org.

New Paper Big Walk (7.5km/5.6km)

Women’s Day Out (fitness challenge)

Singapore Inline Challenge

SPANS Nike Real Run (10km)

OSIM Singapore Triathlon (swim/run/cycle various distances)

Terry Fox Run (4km/8km)

Sheares Bridge Run (10km) & Army Half-Marathon (21km)

Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (10km/21km/42km)

Sources:

Singapore Sports Council, www.ssc.gov.sg

Triathlon Association of Singapore, www.triathlonsingapore.org

Arizona State University study taken from ‘Don’t Go it Alone!’ Muscle & Fitness Hers, June/July 2004, p64

‘Exercising Faithfully’ from Better Homes & Gardens, Dec 2002

‘Exercise – A Healthy Habit to Start & Keep’, familydoctor.org