Lockdowns due to COVID-19 outbreaks meant entire families staying at home and leading more sedentary lifestyles than usual. It's not surprising that parents and kids went back to work in outfits and uniforms that may have felt a little tighter than before.
When you gain weight as a family, the best way to lose it is as a family as well. It’s not just morale boosting, it can be a lot of fun as well. So, how do families lose weight as a group?
How to Lose Weight as a Family
Parents have no one to blame but themselves for how heavy they are. However, the eating habits of the children are the responsibility of the parents, and the best way to ensure kids eat right is to be good role models. Research has shown that a family approach to weight loss is the best way to help children manage their weight.
An entire family focused on being more healthy, rather than obsessing over weight and body image will be happier overall and more successful. When the entire family gets onboard it teaches children that food is not a crutch that makes you fat, instead, it's a tool to help you become strong.
Food is not the only way to a healthy body. There are other, fun ways the entire family can get involved in living a healthier lifestyle. Use these ideas to help you and your family enjoy a healthier lifestyle together.
Weekly Family Activities
Create a list of family-related fitness activities you can do together and have everybody vote on what they would like to do. Activities to include could be a family hike, a day at the park playing sports, bike rides, bowling, or ice skating. Anything that gets the body moving is fair game, so movie night is not a valid activity.
Family Fitness Challenges
Set up a friendly competition between family members, where everyone gets to show off their physical prowess by showing how many pushups they can do in 60 seconds. It could also be situps or an obstacle course in the yard or at the park. The family could also train together for a combined challenge such as a 3-mile run. Many parks around the country have organized events for the whole family to get involved.
Have Screen Free Days
Too much screen time is a significant factor in weight gain for many kids and their parents as well. Have a designated day where screen time is limited to only the necessary stuff like homework. Learning to decouple from technology will make it easier for parents to get the whole family outside and enjoy being more active.
Full-Size Portable Steam Saunas
A portable steam sauna is a fun thing for kids and parents to use to relax and destress. Kids feel stress just as much as their parents, especially during lockdowns. Studying at home amidst so many distractions and not being able to see friends creates tough times for kids, and a portable steam sauna is a novel way for them to relax.
Sauna Blanket
If steam isn't your favorite way to use a sauna, you should consider using an infrared sauna blanket. A sauna blanket is a compact portable sauna that resembles a sleeping bag, but instead of storing body heat, an element projects infrared rays onto the body to warm it up and make it sweat.
There are benefits from either type of sauna, including healthy, glowing skin and improved circulation. The heat also increases the heart rate similar to exercise. An hour in a sauna provides a similar cardiovascular benefit to light exercise, even though you are relaxing with a book or in front of the TV. Of course, we're not saying that a sauna is a suitable replacement for exercise, but every little bit helps.
If you've been cooped up because of COVID-19, getting the whole family involved in weight loss will help you and your children lead more active, healthier lives. Weight loss doesn't have to be all diet and exercise. A full-size portable sauna or a sauna blanket for the home has proven health benefits and is a fun way for the entire family to complement their weight loss efforts. Check out our website today to learn more.
