Running Family = Goals

What better way to spend time with your family than to get healthy together? We’re excited to bring you some tips and advice about inspiring healthy habits for your whole family, including making things like running fun and exciting.

Here in Florida, the weather has been really great for going outside and doing outdoor activities. It’s a great time of year to encourage the kids and everybody in your family to move their bodies and start some great habits together. If you’re hoping to get your whole family into running, we have some tips about encouraging everybody to join the fun.

How to Help Your Kids Enjoy Running and Moving

1. Rewards like “Leveling Up” – Lots of kids love video games, and one reason they are so popular is that beating one level moves them up to the next level, and so on. That gives kids a rewarding feeling that they are earning something. Use that same mentality when you start encouraging your family to exercise together. When you offer a type of exercise like running or even playing games (see #2 for specific tips), and they choose to do it, find a way to reward them. This is not meant to be a bribe, but an experiential reward that will help motivate them to want to keep exercising. Plus be sure it includes something fun they like to do.
2. Games Outside – Does your family play any games together? Start with a game that everyone knows: TAG! You might be surprised to learn that playing tag with your kids is exercise. When you think about it, that’s a game that gets everybody running. Don’t even let the kids know they’re exercising, but suggest the game and they will do the rest. If your kids like red-light green-like, duck, duck, go, or other games, you can start there as well.
3. Family Olympics – This doesn’t only have to be with your family. You can include the whole neighborhood and get others involved in the fun. A few suggestions could be a friendly competition of bike riding around the block (with neighbors assisting for safety), trampoline jumping, and then end it with a fun run. This will take planning and likely some help from the neighbors, but when you get it on the calendar, you can get your kids and the whole neighborhood excited about Family Olympics. You can even do homemade medals for participants. Everyone wins.
4. Victory Laps – Many of us remember a time when we would run as a punishment in P.E. or a sport. We believe that running can be a reward instead of a punishment. If your kids do something well, like good grades, you can join them in a victory lap around the block. Tell any neighbors you see that you’re celebrating how well your kid is doing in school. Maybe we can all turn around the stigma of running as a punishment into a reward.
5. Running Routine – First thing in the morning, most of us make our beds. Can you make running or exercise something that your kids do as a daily routine? Even something small each day, like a daily warm up jog in the yard, or even inside the house, can be a place to start. One great way to set a habit with your kids is consistency and doing it each day. That habit just might become something they take to college and beyond.

Kids Are Welcome at Group Run

Did you know that St. Pete Running Company hosts a family-friendly Group Run every Monday and Thursday at 6:30 PM? You’re always welcome to bring your kids! When you come out, we’ll let you know what the 5K route will be, and you can turn around at any point if you would like to pick a shorter distance, such as one or two miles, to help your kids build up to the distance.

These are just some of the ways you can start running and exercising with your whole family. It’s a wonderful step to take. When you’re willing to make running and exercise a family event, it can create healthy habits that your kids just might decide to do one day when they have their own families.

Do you have more questions about running as a family? We can help! Call or come into the store where our shoe and running experts are ready to provide the high-quality customer service you expect from a Top 50 Running Store in America.