Fitness and wellness are great for the whole family (this probably goes without saying), but there can be some work involved in getting everyone to the gym, park or pool. Is it really worth all the effort to rearrange schedules, give up tv time, or drive through traffic just to get in a workout together? We think it just might be, and here are five reasons why.

Lead by Example

If you are trying to influence your children’s habits and behaviors, you already know that showing the right way to behave (in this case, fitness habits) is a powerful way to get the message across. When your family sees the value you put on health and wellness, they can be motivated to do the same.

Get some Accountability

What better way to keep yourself accountable to your own fitness goals, than to enlist the help of your family? Getting everyone onto the same page, with similar goals towards better health and wellness, means more support and less conflict when it comes to reaching them!

Bond through Time Spent Together

Time together as a family can be tough to come by. It can be hard to prioritize time to just ‘hang out’ together when there is so much else to get done. But fitness is important enough on its own to warrant the family list of to-dos, so why not combine it with family time? Get in your workout and strengthen the bond between you and your loved ones.

Have New Adventures

Making an effort to work out as a family may end up bringing you to fun, new places you might not otherwise go. Whether it is hiking up a mountain, exploring a park you’ve never visited, or putting on ice skates again for the first time in years – your quest to find new ways to be fit together can turn into an adventure. And who wouldn’t like a little more adventure in life?

Find Some Harmony

Have you ever wished for a little more harmony and a little less stress for your family? Increasing everyone’s active time might be able to help. There are so many studies linking increased physical activity to decreased stress, we could fill up this blog post with them alone! What better reason to head to the beach or slopes this weekend?

There are lots of ways to workout together as a family, both inside the gym and out. It could be as simple as taking a walk or run together in your neighborhood (or Charles River Running Map_MIT if you happen to be in ours). You could learn to swim, or swim better, together. Already heading to the gym? Why not combine your workouts by trying out buddy Personal Training lessons? Whatever it is that you find works best for your family, we hope you have fun along the way.