FITNESS - Family-Focused Winter Workouts

Family-Focused Winter Workouts

Kimatni D Rawlins

Recently I paid a visit to lively Laguna Beach with friends and family to enjoy a few last moments of fun in the sun before Christmas hit. Imagine an 80-degree day in December where the locals perennially hit the beach, trails, ocean, or gym for continuous physical fitness sessions. A bit envious, I began to envision life on the West Coast. In contrast, my kids revel life-enhancing activities to keep them fit, healthy, and conscious of positive, energetic habits.

Well, back home in the Nation's Capital, the vantage point is a bit skewed from visions of Sunkist California. Here, a typical day is symptomatic of 20-degree weather, wintry driving conditions, and a few snow days that left the kids begging to build an Olaf snowman from Disney’s hit movie Frozen. But what a great idea! Especially since today’s youth generation is zapped by daily, digital information in exuberant excess, the endless avenues of the Internet, and zombie turning Gaming. Kids do not spend as much time outdoors as their parents did, which, along with destructive eating habits, has led to a barrage of life degradation such as childhood obesity and early onset of Diabetes. But what can be done? Family-focused physical activities all four seasons, especially December through February. Here are a few indoor and outdoor Winter Wonderland ideas to implement into your household’s regimen.  
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Let it snow: As adults, we shun the mere fact of a few snowflakes and begin making a myriad of excuses to stay home and sip tea on the couch. Not kids. As Frozen’s Elsa “The Snow Queen” would say, "the cold never bothered me anyway." Lace-up and get outside with your kids and build an abominable snowman or snow fortress, shovel snow, go sledding or have a snowball fight for an hour. Fun burning calories are the easiest to melt fat away.

Skating: There is nothing like cutting through the wind on a pair of skates while laughing and chasing one of your siblings. Be it rollerblading or ice skating, the legwork is methodical, and the upper body rotational swings are akin to sprinters who have some of the best abs in all of sports. Skating is not only a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) activity, but it unifies and bonds groups together. My childhood memories of the rink are still very vivid and palpable. So when my two daughters say, "dad, let's go skating," I immediately answer the call to duty.

Hit the trails: Let the beauty of your National Park instill the inspiration for a 30-minute to an hour family hike while taking in the earth tones of the environment, inhaling the purifying aromas of Mother Nature, and identifying the insects and animals roaming the land. Turn your trailblazing hike into a family photo contest to see who captures the most unique earthling. Yet, everyone wins with fruit smoothies awaiting. 

Indoor Trampoline Park: If your kids are hyperactive, the best place to let them loose in an indoor trampoline park. In Columbia, Maryland, we have Sky Zone, which allows you to bounce the day away while bouncing away impending fat stores. Again, this is high-intensity movement keeps the heart rate up, the blood flowing, and the brain oxygenated. Afterward, you never know what inventive idea your kid may conjure up! Most parks will also have a cadre of other activities such as 3-D Dodgeball and SkyRobics fitness classes.  


Rock Climbing: I was at a Men's Health race in Chicago, dubbed the "Urbanathlon" when my 5-year-old baby girl at the time asked to jump up the wall with the thingies sticking out of them? Oh, "you want to rock climb," I sarcastically replied. To my surprise, she reached the top in no time with aplomb. Henceforth she and her sister excitedly take on any wall in view at similar sporting events or amusement parks. We also head to indoor rock climbing facilities as often as possible. Coordination, upper and lower body strength, and confidence are built up as she or he is rising to the top. 

Sports Complexes: Most counties have sports complexes or wreck centers with an array of activities to partake in as a unit. For instance, in my area, the local center offers volleyball, basketball, indoor swimming, gymnastics, ping pong, tennis and also features a 200-meter indoor oval track. Sprinting burns calories in a hurry!

Home Gym: If you have the capabilities, find time to dedicate to creating your home gym in the garage. The essentials could include a boxing bag, weights, a bench, jump ropes, ab rollers, pull-up bars, kettlebells, and dumbbells. Once or twice a week, my wife and I hit the garage and nock out a speedy 45 minutes. Additionally, I incorporate the kids by using them as human weights for squats, lunges, and situps on the incline bench.

There are many more activities to integrate into your family’s fitness well-being during cold winter months, such as Tik-Tok dance-offs. The unequivocal scientific evidence is clear as daylight. A family that works out together, stays together! 


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