Family Health and Fitness Day

5 Ways Seniors Can Celebrate

You probably don’t need an excuse to spend time with your family, but it never hurts to have one. This Saturday, September 27th, is National Family Health and Fitness Day, which not only gives you a good reason to bring all your family members together, but also gives you a built-in excuse to do something active and healthy together.

The “family” part of Family Health and Fitness Day may (rightly) be the part you care about most, but the health and fitness part is extremely important as well. According to the CDC, seniors need either two and half hours of moderate physical activity a week, or an hour and 15 minutes of more high intensity exercise.

I bet you can get your full week’s worth of exercise and have fun doing it by taking advantage of National Family Health and Fitness Day. Here are a few tips to get the most out of it.

1. Do your research.

Lots of local organizations throughout the country will be planning events and classes to help people celebrate health and fitness this Saturday. Do a few quick Google searches to see what’s going on in your area. Make a note of the events that you expect your family will like.

2. Discuss favorite activities with your family.

Find out what your kids and grandkids like to do. Do you have a grandson who’s all about Frisbee golf, or a daughter that swears by Pilates? Don’t decide what to do with your day in a vacuum, bring them into the conversation and see what ideas and suggestions they come with.

3. Keep your limitations in mind.

No one likes to think this way, but acknowledging upfront that you might not be fit for rock climbing anymore is better than your family day including a trip to the emergency room. If an activity that sounds awesome might be dangerous for you, suggest a comparable alternative. Everyone’s day will be better if you stay safe.

4. Make sure to eat healthy too.

Fitness and health aren’t just about exercise. Make part of your day together about eating well. Pick a popular restaurant for lunch that’s known for tasty, healthy meals. Or pick a veggie-heavy recipe to cook together once you get home from your active day.

5. Make a habit of it.

If your day was awesome, don’t wait until the next National Health and Fitness Day to give you an excuse. Get something on the calendar for next time before the family leaves to go their separate directions.

If you manage to make it a regular occurrence, your whole family will be both healthier and closer for it.

Some Healthy Senior-Friendly Activities To Consider:

• Take a hike or walk through a local park.
• Play tennis (or ping pong, if you need something with less running).
• Go swimming.
• Play some Wii fitness games, or dance video games.
• Pick a local dancing class to go to, or just put on some music and dance in the living room.
• Find a yoga class or try out some poses at home.
• Play Frisbee golf.
• Go canoeing or kayaking.
• Visit a local farm. Helping pick some fruits or vegetables is both good exercise and a pleasant way to spend a day outside.
• Do some gardening.

That should give you some inspiration to get started planning your day. Now get out there with your family and have fun!

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Kristen Hicks

Kristen Hicks is an Austin-based copywriter and lifelong student with an ongoing curiousity to learn and explore new things. She turns that interest to researching and exploring subjects helpful to seniors and their families for SeniorAdvisor.com.