Many people think that leading a healthy lifestyle is just for adults. Children, however, also need good nutrition, exercise, and sleep to help support their growing bodies. By setting health goals as a family you’re not only getting more time to bond, but you also are able to achieve your goals as a team. Below are some tips on how to come up with healthy family goals:
- Be Specific. Instead of saying your family’s goal is to “be more active” define how you’re going to be more active as a team. A more specific goal would be to say “we will walk every evening for 50 minutes together.“
- Be Realistic. Don’t set your family up for failure by making your goals too difficult to achieve. Choose smaller goals that can be the stepping-stones to achieving larger goals. For example, do you have a picky eater on your hands? Start by including some greens in a healthy smoothie. Slowly work your way up to a healthy leafy green salad!
- Set A Timeframe. By setting a timeframe, everyone will be on the same page and will be held accountable to meet reach the goal! .
- Write It Down. Let your kids write down the goals and keep them involved in every step. This will keep them excited about your new health journey. Be sure to display all of your goals on the fridge so that it can serve as a reminder.
Fun ways of incorporating your family’s goals:
- Host A Backyard Fitness Tournament. Some fun ideas include volleyball, racquetball, basketball, soccer, or a relay-race. If it’s too cold outside try small tournaments indoors, like who can do the most jumping jacks, sit-ups, or pushups.
- Have A Family Cook-Off Or Bake-Off Challenge. The rules are simple: whichever team creates the healthiest best tasting dish wins. The judge can be a friend, neighbor, or relative who is a healthy foodie at heart. Lastly, create a prize as an incentive such as choosing the healthy snack at family game night or movie night.
- Let Your Kids Choose From A List of Healthy Meals. Kids can be picky, which is why letting them pick from a list of healthy options can be beneficial. Stuck on coming up with healthy ideas then check out our delicious recipes listed online.Our Signature Patient Website is filled with tons of family friendly options to choose from!
- Set Up Weekly Meetings. Congratulate each other on your success and brainstorm on areas that need improvement.