4 Things That Can Help Your Family Stay Mentally and Physically Healthy

We’re less than a month into the new year, and that means many people are trying to take positive action in the form of resolutions. Maybe you’ve come up with a couple, and you’re attempting to enact them, but it’s not too late to add a few others. Perhaps instead of health and fitness goals just for yourself, you can bring your family along for the ride to stay mentally and physically healthy.

We’ve come up with four ideas for how you can help your other family members stay mentally and physically healthy. Go through them and select which ones you think will work best for your situation.

Things That Can Help Your Family Stay Mentally and Physically Healthy

You Can Help Your Older Family Members Stay Fit

Perhaps you have one or more elderly family members who live in an assisted living facility or nursing home. They also might live on their own. It’s entirely possible that you worry about them if you feel like they’re living an unhealthy lifestyle.

Humans need to stay active if they’re going to live healthy lives, and New Year’s resolutions for seniors aren’t necessarily something that might occur to them. Older adults sometimes let their fitness routines lapse if there isn’t anyone there to remind them to do it.

You can visit your older family members often this year and help them remember to work out. Maybe that will involve lifting some free weights, training with resistance bands, swimming, or whatever else makes the most sense based on their unique physical capabilities.

You can take them to the YMCA if they have a membership, or you can help them exercise in the available onsite facilities if they live in assisted living or a nursing home. They should have exercise equipment, and this way, you’ll likely prolong your family member’s life.

You Can Help Your Kids Stay Fit

You also might have kids, and childhood obesity could concern you. Many children are overweight or obese, and you might feel dismayed if you see your kids doing nothing but playing video games every day. Many sports leagues have had to shut down because of the pandemic, leading to even more inactivity.

If you work out with your kids, that can help motivate them. If they’re reluctant, you can suggest some ways to make it fun.

For instance, if you all have fitness wearables like Fitbits, you can announce a contest. You’ll all keep track of how many steps you take during the week. The one who walks the most can win a prize.

You Can Meditate with Your Kids

Some parents also feel like their kids might be dealing with depression or anxiety. It’s happening more than usual due to the pandemic and the separation of kids and their school friends.

It’s essential that you keep your kids in a positive mindset. Meditation is one way they can achieve this.

You can arrange a time each day for the whole family, including the kids, to gather together. You can turn down the lights and all sit in a row, or lay down, whichever is more comfortable. Then, you can all take part in a guided meditation exercise.

There are different apps like Sativa, Calm, or Headspace. Some cost money, but others are free. Even if you and your kids have never meditated before, you should find that it’s easy to do, and it can help all of you feel a lot calmer and ready to tackle your days with renewed vigor.

You Can Do Yoga with the Older Adults in Your Family

If you have that older relative in assisted living or a nursing home, yoga is another great thing for you to do with them. It helps both body and mind simultaneously.

When you do some yoga exercises, you limber up the body, and maintaining flexibility as an older adult is so critical. Even some basic stretches can help your family’s older adults work the kinks out, so they’re not so stiff and sore. Yoga can help if they have arthritis or old injuries.

Some older people might not be so sure about yoga and resist it, but you can stress the physical benefits if not the mental ones. Much of yoga does have a meditative aspect, but if your older relative doesn’t want to do that part, you can always gloss over it.

You must try to keep all your family members both physically and mentally healthy. These are just a few of the many ways to do that.