When is National Family Health and Fitness Day?
The last Saturday in September is National Family Health and Fitness Day.
What is National Family Health and Fitness Day?
Exercise is not always fun. Just try asking a kid to start a running regimen simply to stay healthy. Kids do love to play though, so what better way to keep the family healthy than by making fitness a family gig? National Family Health and Fitness Day urges parents to join their kids in physical activity.
It’s not enough to teach our children the importance of fitness. They need to want it. We can cite statistics and paint visions of old age, but their minds will be a thousand miles away. We can teach our kids to love fitness by engaging it together in fun ways. Not everything in life has to be fun. Making it fun sure helps though.
All over the nation, families meet at YMCAs, parks, schools, and malls for health screenings, games, and walking events. National Family Health and Fitness Day reminds us to invest in our bodies and the health of our children, and lets us have a good time while we’re at it.
Fun facts about National Family Health and Fitness Day!
- Regular exercise lowers a child’s risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes.
- Only a third of American kids have habits of daily physical activity.
- Setting limits on screen time indirectly encourages kids to get active.
- The Health Information Resource Center launched National Family Health and Fitness Day in 1996.
How to celebrate National Family Health and Fitness Day:
- Go for a walk or a run with your kids.
- Include something noncompetitive like stretches or aerobics. If your kids aren’t into it, get creative. Make it silly or overly serious.
- Gamify your exercise. Play tag or a game of sharks and minnows. Pick a sport your kids love, or teach them a new one.
What’s the hashtag for National Family Health and Fitness Day?
Use #FamilyHealthAndFitnessDayUSA to support family fitness.