An active family is a healthy family

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Key Takeaways: In our busy and hectic lives, we do not pay much attention to our health and wellness. Keeping fit is not always about routine; it can be fun too. Here are a few exercises and fun activities for you and your family to stay mentally and physically healthy.

It is said that health is a state of mind and wellness is a state of being. Both are equally important for you to have a better lifestyle. The well-being of one family member has a direct effect on everyone else and to that end, all of us need to be fit and active. Exercising need not be about maintaining complicated charts; it can also include day-to-day activities like cooking or walking your dog. We’ve chalked up a list of games and exercises you can do with your loved ones of all ages.

There are multiple ways to stay fit, mentally and physically

You can stay physically fit through exercises like workouts and stay mentally agile through various activities. Neurobic exercises are simply those activities you do every day but a little differently and relaxation techniques are a great way to combat stress.

Exercise with family

There is no shortage of physical training activities you can do as a family. You can challenge each other to switch out your routines or cheer one another to achieve fitness goals. Indoor activities like spring cleaning your home or re-arranging the furniture count as exercise. Gardening or snow-shovelling are great outdoor activities and can build physical strength. App-based workouts are becoming popular - you can try My Fitness Pal or 7-Minute Workout. To make fitness a family activity, you can use an app like FitBit to track each other’s fitness score and motivate one another. If you want something more entertaining, you can take up dance classes together or play a round of tennis or badminton.

Brain training and mind games

Strategy games, puzzles and other brain teasers never go out of style. Word building and vocabulary games improve memory and language skills. While some of these are board games, you can even play these games online with your family and loved ones across miles. Websites like Luminosity have an interesting set of games to improve memory and problem solving skills while apps like QuizUp promote quizzes across various topics. You can also look for Sudoku puzzle apps or online crosswords and The Guardian offers both.

Relax and breathe

Meditation, yoga or tai-chi are ancient yet contemporary techniques that relax the mind and body. Do it together as a family and it won’t feel like an exercise. Meditation heightens your attention span and improves your emotional well-being. Yoga is great for improving muscle flexibility and balancing your body’s metabolism. Tai Chi helps improve sleep and memory, especially for seniors in the family. You can even find Android or iOS apps to practice these techniques on-the-go. Some of the popular ones are Calm, Asana Rebel and 7-Minute Chi.

Unroutine for overall wellness

As odd as it may sound, your daily schedule plays an essential role in your fitness goals. Neurobic exercises are an interesting way to ‘unroutine’ by switching out activities. You can try things like using your non-dominant hand for brushing teeth or for using your laptop mouse. You can eat a meal in total silence with your family using only signs to communicate or play a game of identifying household objects when you are blindfolded. Changing things up opens up new neural circuits and slows the ageing of the brain. These activities also enhance lateral thinking and let you adapt to doing things a bit differently.

Final Note: Having a healthy lifestyle is all about being physically and mentally sound. However, beyond exercising and interactive games, your mind and spirit need to remain healthy. Doing interesting activities together with your family will not only keep you fit but also pave the way for a happier life.

*Disclaimer: This article has been shared purely from an information perspective and we do not necessarily endorse any of the above mentioned apps or platforms.