Fall Family Fitness, Food and Fun

School is back in session and as the new routine picks up, some self-care gems can go out the window.

This article will share with you a few of my favorite tips to ensure you can get your entire family on board for fitness, healthy foods and lots of fun this fall. 

Earlier alarms, homework and all the shifts can cause stress and affect each family member differently.
The first step in fall family self care is to give everyone a “grace” period. For the next 30 days be realistic about all the changes happening from the weather to adjusting to all the new things on your to-do list after a few months enjoying summer.

The brain takes approx 66 days to build a new habit, imagine how tough this can be on our kids. The stress we feel as parents directly effects our children so giving ourselves and family members extra grace through the transitions of seasons can be incredibly helpful for all. 

Get Organized
Here is a great place to start – spend one-day this week for at least one-hour organizing all of the new activities, routine shifts, schedule changes for each person in your family.

Create a google spreadsheet, write it out by hand or get one of those fridge calendars everyone can see (the point is to create the clarity around the new schedule). Make a list of the MIT (most important tasks) for each family member throughout a 1 week so you can see it visually.

This helps in case you notice some things you can take OFF your plate. Have a family meeting to get everyone on board and see who is willing to help with certain tasks (ex: who can help feed the dog, take the garbage out, read with baby sister) As parents, it is up to us to ASK for help.

I can’t tell you how many times moms suggest how tired they are from doing it all but they fail to ask for help and the family might not be sure how to help until mom or dad asks. 

FAMILY FITNESS + Wellness 
A healthy family is a happy family is one motto I LIVE by. I have worked out with my daughter since she was in the womb and thankfully she’s learned to embrace fitness as part of our daily routine.

Due to the upswing in mental health struggles, obesity on the rise and technology being wrapped around every part of life, living a healthy lifestyle isn’t as easy as it once was.

We need to create healthy structures in our homes by including activities we can do together. Here are my favorite ways to incorporate fitness into family life : Take a walk after a meal together, or first thing in the morning spend five minutes stretching together, commit to eating at least ONE meal together without technology, host a weekly fitness family challenge and have fun with it!

The point here is to get everyone involved and understanding how great it FEELS to be healthy! 

LAST but not least FAMILY FUN!
One of the easiest ways to embrace quality time together and be healthy is make the activities FUN. Whether it’s cooking together, singing a tune or dance party in the living room, healthy activites can be as fun as you make them!

Have each family member create a list of ways they enjoy being healthy – challenge each other to eat more colors and spend less time on technology so you can bond in healthier ways. According to multiple media outlets, 75 percent of the time we spend with our kids will be spent by the age 12 which seems wild, but also rings very true. We have 86,400 seconds each day, I invite you to focus on spending more time doing the things that bring us JOY together!

For a FREE seven-day meal guide, reach out to Jaime@jaimemcfaden