Making Fitness Fun for Everyone The Family That Sweats Together, Stays Together Ready to turn family time into flexing time? Staying active and healthy doesn’t have to mean dragging everyone to the gym for endless push-ups or eating kale every day. With a bit of imagination and a team effort, the whole family can make fitness fun and celebrate gains together. From turning laundry chores into speed-folding competitions to jamming out in the living room as a cardio workout, building healthy habits is easier when you’re with the ones you love and laughing!
The nation’s fastest-growing sport was born of a bored teenager’s wish for something to do during a summer vacation.
MOP TILL YOU DROP Chores may not be everyone’s favorite activity — that is, until you turn them into high-energy games that work up a sweat. Many household tasks have physical elements that can be a form of entertaining exercise. You could challenge your family to a sweep off, where everyone
When Joel and Joan Pritchard’s 13-year-old son Frank grew restless on a summer vacation in 1965, Frank challenged his dad to make up a game. Joel loved a challenge, so he and a friend grabbed a plastic wiffle ball and two ping-pong paddles and headed for a backyard badminton court at Joel’s Bainbridge Island, Washington, vacation home. They had so much fun batting the ball around that they asked a neighbor to make stronger paddles. Frank’s mom, Joan, came up with a name for the game after the “pickle boats” in crew competitions that were used to race for fun by rowers who weren’t chosen as starters. Frank later recalled, “To hear my mother tell it, they sort of threw the leftover non-starter oarsmen into these particular pickle boats. She thought pickleball sort of threw bits of other games into the mix (badminton, table tennis) and decided that Pickleball was an appropriate name,” according to a USA Pickleball history of the sport.
races with their broom to see who can clean the floor the fastest. Maybe you want to do some laundry lunges while washing clothes or see who
can pick up the most toys in the shortest amount of time. Not only will everyone be
more motivated to get their household to-do list done, but it will also help everyone get their reps in without noticing.
FIT AND FUN Staying in shape will happen naturally if you carve out time for family activities that include a little movement. Daily walks after dinner are low-impact, get everyone outside, and are an easy way to get your steps in. Instead of driving to the library or park, ride bikes to get there so everyone reaps the benefits of cycling, such as improved heart health and better balance. Your children might enjoy trying out scooters or roller skates to get around the neighborhood.
As we celebrate National Pickleball Day on Aug. 8, the sport is exploding into a global phenomenon. Tens of thousands of courts have been built across the U.S. and overseas. Participation by players of all ages rose by 85% to 8.9 million between 2022 and 2023. Pickleball even has a pro tour and a national championship tournament that drew 2,600 players and 10,000 fans in 2024. As chiropractors know, pickleball has also become a leading source of strains, pains, and injuries, especially among the many older adults who play. According to a survey of U.S. hospitals, more than 17,000 pickleball players wind up in emergency rooms every year,
STIR UP GOOD HABITS Proper nutrition is a key ingredient in a healthy lifestyle. Commit to cooking together as a family at least once a week to get everyone excited about eating right. Have the kids help plan the entree, pick out fresh veggies at the store, measure ingredients, or set the table. Making everyone feel included in meal planning helps them take ownership of their habits and learn how to prepare well-balanced diets.
more than 87% of them over age 50. Many participants face an above-average risk of foot problems, muscle strain, and overuse injuries. Additionally, many newly constructed pickleball courts are made of concrete, which any tennis player will tell you is far more conducive to injury than asphalt.
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