6 Family Fitness Activities That Help the Environment

We know how important exercise and family fitness are to prevent childhood obesity. Time spent outside, in nature and the fresh air, is important for children. We also want to help the environment in any way we can. Why not combine all three? Spring is around the corner. Get moving, get outside, and help the environment as a family!

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6 Family Fitness Activities That Help the Environment

Gardening

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Gardening is something that every family can easily do! Keep it simple and make a square foot garden, or a square foot garden for each member of the family. Plant one vegetable per square foot garden, or per section in that garden, or consider an herb garden.

Have the children decide what they would like to plant. If you decide on vegetables, use this vegetable compatibility chart to see which ones grow best planted together. Start now by growing seeds indoors and then transplanting your seedlings to the garden once the weather has warmed up enough in your area.

Gardening gets your family moving, and produces delicious, organic vegetables, fruits, or herbs for your table. You will even save money, especially if you start your plants from seeds. Gardening with kids can be fun!

Litter Clean Up

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Kids love cleaning up litter! Adopt-a-highway, or a park, or just your neighbourhood street. Gather the family together, grab some garbage bags and some gloves and head out as a family to clean up. Perhaps you would even like to organize a school group or homeschool group to do a larger scale cleanup.

It’s so rewarding to see the results – a litter-free zone – when you’re done! A litter clean up is such a great way to combine family fitness and helping the environment while volunteering in your community. Encourage your children to keep it up and do mini-clean ups periodically.

Washing Your Car

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Wash your car as a family at home for a fun bit of family fitness. Encourage the kids to put some elbow grease into it and really scrub that car with a sponge.  If you all work together to wash the car on a sunny afternoon, it will be done in no time at all! And you will be helping the environment: washing with a sponge and bucket uses 8 times less water than a hose!

U-pick Fruit

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Instead of buying produce which has travelled long distances to your grocery store, why not take advantage of local fruit when it’s in season? Head to a local U-pick farm for a family outing. Picking berries is a great, and delicious, way to get in some family fitness. Children have a real need to get out in nature, and you’re likely to see some creatures and other plants while you’re there at the farm.

Mowing the Lawn

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Mowing with a traditional, electric or gas mower is exercise. But how about conserving energy and helping out the environment by using a push mower instead? Pick one up at an auction or second hand store.

Each member of the family can take turns mowing a section of the lawn. Not only will the family improve fitness with a walk, but those muscles will get a workout with a manual push mower. Another benefit to the environment is that push mowers can be sharpened and last much longer than a power mower, reducing waste at the local landfill.

Bicycling

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Bicycling is so healthy for the whole family. It’s a great family fitness activity for spring. Get on your bikes as a family and head out for a family picnic. Encourage your children to bike to school if possible, and you can try to bike to work or the store as often as you can.

Enjoy time together as a family, teaching skills kids can use for a lifetime. These kinds of activities, such as yard work, picking fruit, lawn mowing, and gardening, can also be used by your kids to earn money over the summer while they keep fit.

Looking for more great family fitness activities? Check out this video filled with great spring fitness for the family!

What activity ideas would you suggest to improve family fitness and help the environment at the same time? Share in the comments below!

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