Each year during the first full week in August, families around the country celebrate National Exercise With Your Child Week.
From August 2nd to the 8th 2021, you and your family can kick off healthier habits and increased physical fitness with heart-healthy activities designed to get everyone up and moving, and We Sell Mats™ has a handful of exercises you can try out as a family!
Before we jump into our list of exercises, let’s talk about the benefits of exercise you can share with your child to encourage them to exercise regularly.
The Benefits of Exercise
Whether you’re seven or 70, the benefits of exercise are enough to make anyone want to get up and move. Some of the proven benefits of exercise include:
- Weight loss & weight control
- Improved mental health and mood stability
- Improved thinking, memory, and mental clarity
- Improved endurance
- Increased bone strength and density
- Reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, anxiety, depression, cancer, arthritis, and more.
This is just the tip of the iceberg of how exercising regularly can affect your mind, body, and health throughout your life. It’s important to note that exercise requirements vary based on age.
Here is a breakdown of how much exercise children and adults should aim for each day or week, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC):
Preschool-Aged Children Ages 3-5: Physically active throughout the day, like playing at the park, going for walks, etc.
Children & Adolescents Ages 6-17: At least one hour of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity each day. As part of this daily exercise, three times a week, children and adolescents should spend:
- 60 minutes performing a vigorous activity like running or a team sport
- 60 minutes performing a muscle-strengthening activity like climbing or push-ups
- 60 minutes performing a bone-strengthening activity like gymnastics or jump rope.
Adults Aged 18-64: 150 minutes (30 minutes of exercise for five days) per week of moderate-intensity exercise, like brisk walking, with two of those days participating in muscle-strengthening activities like weight lifting or resistance training.
Older Adults (Age 65 & Up): 150 minutes (30 minutes of exercise for five days) per week of moderate-intensity exercise, like brisk walking. Two of those days should be spent participating in muscle-strengthening activities like weight lifting or resistance training, along with exercises or activities to improve balance, like light yoga or balancing on one foot.
Adults with Chronic Conditions/Disabilities: 150 minutes (30 minutes of exercise for five days) per week of moderate-intensity aerobic workouts and two days of muscle-strengthening activities.
Pregnant & Postpartum Women: 150 minutes (30 minutes of exercise for five days) per week of moderate-intensity aerobic workouts.
Five Exercise Activities You Can Do With Your Child
Regardless of age, disability, or condition, public health officials agree that at least 30 minutes each day of aerobic exercise is a good idea for all. It’s also a great place to start your new family workout routine!
To help you kick off your week of fun family exercise, here are five exercises you can do with your child during National Exercise With Your Child Week!
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30-Minutes of Yoga
Yoga is the perfect way to stretch the muscles and relax the mind on the first day of your week’s worth of workouts, or as a way to wrap up a fun week of exercise. It’s also a relaxing yet effective workout ideal for any night of the week without completely breaking a sweat!
All you’ll need is a Yoga Mat or Personal Exercise Mat for each person and a recorded yoga lesson, which you can find for free on YouTube.
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Family Walk or Bike Ride
Take the family out for a walk or bike ride on a new local trail or park. Either way, both are great activities for taking a break from the day and enjoying quality time outside with each other, all while soaking up that Vitamin D.
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Circuit Workout
We know that exercise isn’t always exactly fun, but one way to make it more enjoyable is to create a circuit-training workout everyone in the family can participate in.
All you’ll need to do is come up with the same number of stations (or more) as there are family members. These stations could be performing ten of each movement, like: jump rope, jumping jacks, sit ups, squats, and overhead presses with light dumbbells. Repeat the circuit a set number of times, or until the clock runs out based on the time you set, and don’t forget the motivating music! Fill the rest of the time with some stretching, walking, or light yoga.
To make your circuit workout more comfortable (especially if you plan on making family exercise a regular part of your weekly routine), we recommend picking up some comfortable Exercise and Workout Mats, like the We Sell Mats™ Forest Floor® Wood Grain Mats, designed to match existing hardwood floors.
Or, if you’ve been looking for an excuse to create that dream home gym, Velotas® Rubber Tiles offer the perfect surface for free weights and heavier equipment. Meanwhile, the ½” Diamond Pattern Foam Fitness Mats and ¾” Diamond Pattern Foam Fitness Mats offer the forgiving support and extra grip needed for bodyweight exercises.
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Tour de Family
If you have an indoor cycling bike, encourage a little friendly competition between family members with a stationary “Tour de France” event right at home! If you’ve been dreaming of a new stationary bike, this would be a perfect opportunity and reason to get one.
Not only are stationary bikes great for individuals with knee problems or those looking to get back into fitness at a pace that works for them, but they are also a fun way for kids and adults to burn off some energy and fit in their aerobic fitness regardless of what the weather is like outside. Just be sure to set up your stationary bike on a PVC Fitness Equipment Mat, so it does not damage your bike or the floor beneath it.
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Jump Around!
Okay, maybe you have a younger child or gymnast that needs to burn off some energy while staying active. If so, the We Sell Mats™ line of
- can help! These inflatable mats are light and easy to transport and store and will give every participant the extra cushioned support they need while jumping, rolling, cartwheels, and more. Or, if you have a trampoline at home, take some time to play games like “popcorn” or “cat and mouse.”
Be sure to start every workout with a light warmup, and end every workout with a quick cool down and stretch. Warm-ups and cool-downs help prevent injury and lactic acid build-up in muscles, two things any person exercising is likely to experience.
No matter what activities you decide to plan with your family, We Sell Mats™ has the right fitness and equipment mats to support your fitness goals and protect your floors. As you plan for your fun-filled week of family fitness, be sure to do it in style, and comfort with We Sell Mats™ supporting you the entire time!