Beating the Winter Blues: 5 Indoor Fitness Activities Your Family will Love

During those freezing cold winter months when you aren’t able to get outside and it’s hard to muster up the motivation to get out and hit the gym, it can seem nearly impossible to get any exercise in.  Activity levels fall to one step above couch potato and we often wonder where the excess weight is coming from.  However, not all is lost.  You do still have a chance to maintain some form of an exercise routine even when the snow is falling and temps are ridiculously low.

Video games – this is not a suggestion to sit on the couch and stare at the television all day with a controller in your hand.  Systems such as the Wii offer games where you can be up and moving while you are playing.  Bowling, tennis, Wii Fit, and Wii Sports are a few games that will not only get your whole family laughing, but also keep everyone active while the snow blows outside. 

Indoor obstacle course – use your furniture and everyday items around the house to create a fun, unique obstacle course that you all can enjoy.  Make it an event the whole family gets involved in, and time how long it takes each person to complete it.  The winner gets a prize or gets to choose how the next course will be set up.   Use your imagination and be as creative as you want. 

Turn up the music – This may be the one and only time that you don’t yell at the kids to turn the music down.  Blast some tunes as loud as you want and make room for a dance floor in the living room.  Your whole family will enjoy showing off their moves and will get a workout while they are at it.  Step it up a level and have each person create their own unique dance that they perform in front of the whole family. 

Indoor bowling – turn a hallway into a bowling alley with a few simple steps.  Empty soda or water bottles make great pins, and any ball will do. Keep score and see who is the bowling champion.  This type of bowling is cheaper AND you don’t have to wear those awful bowling shoes while you play.

Scavenger hunt – This is a perfect indoor activity to keep the kids busy.  It’s a great way to be creative and keep the imaginative juices flowing.  Hide a variety of items all through the house and leave clues that the kids have to follow to find them.  Whoever finds all items gets to choose a prize or decide what the family will watch on television that night.

Just because it’s cold and nasty outside doesn’t mean you have to give up all forms of exercise.  There are many creative ways to stay active indoors and make memorable moments with your family as well.  It’s one way to get your family looking forward to those cold, winter days rather than dreading them.