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Family Fitness Fun: How to Stay Healthy and Bond Together

Parents want their kids to be healthy and fit. The adults also know they should exercise too. Often, that means dropping the kids off at soccer practice or dance class and heading to the gym. But fitness also can be a family affair. When family members exercise together they improve their health and family bonds while spending quality time with each other.

FAMILIES WHO RUN TOGETHER

Samantha and Ryan Senkarik have been exercising with their children, Chase and Saige, now 14 and 12, since they were toddlers.

“I like to be with the kids, especially with our busy schedules,” Samantha Senkarik said. “When we have that time together, we are off our phones, doing something healthy and together. I am hoping they carry this through in their future.”

The Senkariks like to run together. Now that the children are older, they head to Disney for the 5K races, which they love.

Ryan Senkarik, a physical therapist, assists Chase with warm-up exercises before golf and Saige before soccer.

“He does the stretching and exercises with them, and I am more of the running part of it,” Samantha Senkarik explained.

Rayna and Matt Overmyer are super active with their sons Alan,16, and Kade, 12. Alan does Disney 10K events with his mom, while Kade will go on family runs to get fit for his martial arts classes.

Rayna Overmyer said it doesn’t have to be big Disney runs. It can be as simple as doing some short sprints with the kids.

“I think a lot of kids don’t know what to do, but if they see their mom and dad being role models, that is huge,” she said. “I think it’s just having a commonality, to set the kids up for a healthy lifestyle and always being mobile, especially nowadays where kids want to play video games all day.” 

HOW TO PLAY AS A FAMILY

Families often stay fit together at the local YMCAs. Angel Cerritos, executive director of YMCA of Southwest Florida, said it’s pool is made for family swims.

“We have a zero-grade entry pool, so it makes it easy for young and even older family members to have access,” he described.

Cerritos says parents and children come to the gym and shoot hoops, play pickleball together, and play on the soccer fields.

“Technology is a solo activity.,” Cerritos stressed. “But when you are active together playing a sport, you are truly unplugged, and you can have conversations and create memorable experiences.”

Exercising with an infant or toddler can be challenging, but Katelyn Houbre says Fit Mom Boot Camp solves that. Families from all over Southwest Florida meet several times a week at the playground at Miromar to exercise together. Sometimes, the toddlers play on the playground while the parents exercise nearby. They also play games together, such as flipping a card to see how many burpees to do. 

Staying fit together doesn’t have to mean working out, running, or going to a gym. It can be as simple as a fun afternoon or evening of active ice skating, bowling, or playing on a field.

Sunday is Family Skate Night at Hertz Arena. From 6:30-8:30 p.m., families pay $10 per person, including the skate rentals. Upright sleds for kids to hold on to make ice skating easier for children and adults.

“We have a lot of families that come. On our Sunday nights, we will get 150-200 people,” said Michael Schmitt, recreation manager. “The kids love it.”

At Bowland in North Naples and HeadPinz in Naples, there is a Sunday Pizza Bowl special all day that includes two hours of bowling, shoe rental, a 

large pizza, and a pitcher of soda for up to six people on a lane for $59.95.

GUIDELINES ON THE GO

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that children ages 3-5 should be active off and on throughout the day to support healthy growth and development. Children 6 and older need at least 60 minutes a day of physical activity and should incorporate aerobic, muscle, and bone-strengthening actions. The CDC recommends adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity and two days of muscle-strengthening activity a week. Parents can make exercise a fun, family affair while meeting the guidelines and strengthening the bonds with their kids.

PLACES TO PLAY AND GROW FIT

For more ideas, see the CCPS and Neapolitan Family Activities Guide