It’s almost the holidays! With that being said, most of your family probably has time off from work and school. This can be a great reason to spend quality family time together, while still being active and healthy. Check out HFR’s top 10 healthy family activities to do together this holiday season!
- Put fall colors in your diet: Don’t just dress the part of fall, eat it too! Put some orange, yellow, brown and green in your diet too to ensure you’re getting all of the essential vitamins and nutrients to have the energy to do all your Thanksgiving activities! Pumpkins, squash, and carrots are packed with vitamins A and C, also full of antioxidants.
- Rake the leaves: Raking the leaves doesn’t have to be a chore. Make a game out of it; whoever can rake the most leaves into the biggest pile gets to jump in everyone else’s (and make them re-rake them again). Don’t forget that raking leaves can burn around 235 calories!
- Turkey Day run: Several cities around the nation have what they call a “Turkey Run”, where the community gathers together to run (or walk) a 5k, which is equivalent to a little over 3 miles. Participating in one of these events would give a great start to your day and get your exercise in before you chow down on Thanksgiving dinner.
- “Spring” cleaning: If you’re having guests over for dinner, you better get to cleaning! You don’t need to wait until spring to deep clean the living room, now is the perfect opportunity before the family comes over. Assign each person in your family to a room, where they’ll be burning around 170 calories (you can burn 200 if you get on your hands and knees and scrub the kitchen floor!).
- Go Christmas shopping: People don’t realize how much of a workout shopping is until they look down at their fitness tracker and see they’ve walked 3 miles just around the mall! Not only that but pushing around a heavy shopping cart full of presents can be your cardio for the day. Bring the family and takes laps around the mall, and get a different scenery outside of the gym.
- TV commercial challenge: With the holidays comes obnoxious and annoying commercials you’re going to see on repeat for the next month, so make the most out of them and challenge your family to a fitness face-off! Every time you see that one Best Buy commercial that drives you up a wall, do 10 push ups to take your mind off it. That Walmart commercial that you always switch the channel when it comes on? Do 10 lunges across the living room. Your body will thank you for it!
- Give thanks: Nothing improves your mental health more than realizing all the things you have to be grateful for. Sit together with your family and write out a list of 5 things you are thankful for, and share them with each other. The warm aroma of positivity around you will improve your mental, spiritual, and even physical health.
- Cook for a neighbor: Spread awareness of the importance of healthy eating by bringing treats to others! Bake up a yummy apple cider glazed chicken and bring it over to the neighbor you don’t very well. You never know what someone is going through, and something simple as a homemade healthy treat is all they may need!
- Go to a weekend getaway in the mountains: Research has proven that being in the mountains has a multitude of health benefits, like having more energy and better respiratory and cardiovascular health. Get out of town and go visit the mountains and have the vacation of a lifetime, while taking care of yourself!
- Check out local events: The holidays are one of the most actives time of the year, with so many different activities and things to do that are family friendly. Check out your local newspaper or community calendar to see all the events going on in town. Go walk around with the family and look at Christmas lights, or just hang out outside enjoying the crisp fall air!
