The holidays bring so much of everything, which can be good. But, that “so much of everything” also includes lots of sweets and treats, which is not so good. Balance the intake of goodies with these 7 holiday ways to burn calories with your kids.
- Just Add Music. Good music just makes you want to move. So when you’re decorating your tree, or whipping up cookies, turn on the holiday tunes or some upbeat music. Every 15 minutes or so take a “dance break.” Get moving with your kids. We guarantee that you’ll not only do some dancing, you’ll crack up with laughter too!
- Stroll Instead of Roll. In addition to driving around looking at pretty light displays, take holiday strolls too. It’s amazing what you’ll see when you’re walking instead of driving. You can also use your strolls to deliver Christmas surprises to neighbors and friends.
- Kid Plans. Let your children come up with some fun ways to fill holiday time. Agree to spend at least half an hour a day playing with them outside, or doing something active inside.
- Exercise Tree. Picture a Christmas tree with a star on top. Describe it to your kids and ask them to draw one on a piece of printer paper. Once they’re done, explain to them that the bottom branches are the foundation of your daily exercise, this is something you can do a lot of easily, such as walking. The next level of branches is a little more intense, maybe 15 minutes of a higher intensity activity like running or biking. The final level of branches, at the top, is something pretty focused like 50 sit-ups or 50 jumping jacks. The star on the tree is the real topper. Let the kids decide on something that really challenges them physically like push-ups or pull-ups.
Have them try to complete each level of their exercise tree every day over the holiday break. - Buy Time. So, your kids want to watch a movie on TV, play video games or cozy up with their cell phone to text friends. Great, but they’ll have to buy that time. The price? Physical activity. You decide the price—maybe every 15 minutes of activity equals 30 minutes of screen time.
