Top 5 Tips to Get the Family Outside and Active Together

We have been lucky enough to team up with GP and mum of two, Dr Preeya Alexander (thewholesomedoctor) to pull together her top 5 tips and tricks on how to keep the family more active - highlighting that even small wins, are still wins when it comes to physical exercise, including the benefits of utilising your Springfree Trampoline!

“COVID-19 has caused a big shift for families. Number one – there is a big focus on stress management for adults, but stress management for children has also become a factor in the current pandemic. And I think people have realised, particularly with the discussion with the conversation around health in the media at the moment, that exercise is actually a really good tool to manage stress for kids and adults. People are now much more aware of it and are ready to do something about it.” Said Dr Preeya Alexander.

Top 5 tips for getting the family out of the house and active together –

1.    Make exercise sound fun!

To make these standards achievable and practical, the first thing I tell most parents to do is to try and make the activity fun and to not actually say to your kids ‘we are going to do some exercise’. Instead, try things like jumping on your Springfree Trampoline, building an obstacle course or riding to the local park etc.

2.    Exercise together as a family.

If you can do something active together as a family, where your kids see you doing something as well, they will feel it is the norm and that is more palatable for children. Once it becomes normal for them, that’s when you can incorporate healthy habits so your child feels that going for a walk once a day, jumping on your Springfree Trampoline or have some fun at the playground is the norm as opposed to it just being sedentary time

3.    Have your kids exercise in chunks of time if you have to.

Three hours is a long time, especially if you’re working. Remember to break up the time and that 15 minutes still counts! If you can get a couple of 15 minute blocks in throughout the day, it’s better than nothing. The small stuff is easier to fit in like 10 minutes of jumping on your Springfree Trampoline or 15 minutes on the playground, it all adds up.

4.    Playing a game with your child is not only a great form of exercise but a great bonding tool.

Doing something active together be it a walk or kicking the footy in the park, playing a game on your Springfree Trampoline or anything really - it is a wonderful bonding experience. I often see that parents really want their kids to talk to them and I will often have parents in the clinic say “I don’t know how to get my kids to talk to me” and I often suggest not to see it as a sit down conversation to nail down all of the important questions instead utilise time when you are doing other stuff, when they are relaxed and having fun as they will likely be more receptive and this is often the way I have the best conversations with my kids

5.    All outdoor activity is good for your kids of all ages, including infants!

I have an 8 month old myself and I think many parents don’t actually realise that them being physically active and out in the backyard with their child is actually really great sensory input for a baby. I make a conscious effort to be active and outdoors with my family because it benefits my son in so many ways, being exposed to sunlight, noises and different stimulations. Something as simple as taking your kids into the backyard and skipping or trampolining on the Springfree Trampoline and letting them watch you is really good sensory stimulation for them.