Family-Friendly

Diet & Fitness

Family-Friendly Workouts

Have fun and stay fit together this holiday season

by Liz Neporent, MA

Do season's greetings traditionally translate into your family's collective waistline growing? Start a new tradition: Organize a holiday workout schedule you can all do together.

"Squeezing in exercise during the holidays is definitely a challenge, but getting out and being more active as a family makes it easier to stay in shape for everyone," said New Jersey exercise physiologist Neal Pire (Sportstrainingacademy.com). "It's a fun way to spend quality time and can help you trim down or at least maintain your weight even though you're probably eating a lot more than most other times of the year."

Pire, who specializes in creating exercise programs for both parents and children, has designed three family fitness routines that should fit perfectly into your holiday plans. Aim to do at least three workouts a week; if you're really feeling ambitious, five a week. Pire encourages laughing, clapping and shouting encouragement but says it's important to make sure everyone moves at his or her own pace to get the best results without overdoing it.

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Family Fat Blaster

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Metabolism Booster

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Minds & Bodies Workout

Workout 1: Family Fat Blaster This high-energy cardio workout gets the whole family involved. Expect to burn off 300-350 calories (depending on how much you weigh). That's enough to counteract a large slice of pumpkin pie.

Warm up with a family stroll: 5-10 minutes. You don't have to work up much of a sweat, just use it to get moving and loosen up the muscles.

Tandem walk: Line up single file and walk at a brisk pace. The person at the back of the line jogs up to the front and becomes the leader, then the next person does the same and the next and so on. Keep going until each person leads the line three times.

Power skips: Line up in a row and pick a tree, bush or some other landmark about 50 yards away. With everyone starting at once, take big, energetic skipping steps and vigorously swinging your arms until you reach your landmark. Wait for everyone to catch up, then turn around and skip back to the start.

Side shuffles: Line up single file about 50 yards from your landmark with everyone turned sideways. The first person starts by squatting down as low as comfortable and side-shuffling toward the landmark as fast as she can. When she reaches the halfway mark, the next person in line goes, then the next person and so on. Keep shuffling until everyone completes three rounds.

Grapevine: Immediately upon finishing side shuffles, move into grapevine steps: Still standing sideways, step your right foot in front and across your left foot then step your left foot out to the side to move towards your landmark. On the next stride, step your right foot in back of your left foot, then step your left foot out to the side. Complete three rounds.

Bounders: Immediately upon finishing the grapevines, face forward and do three rounds of bounders: Explode forward, lifting knees high and pumping arms vigorously.

Crab kicks: Sit in a circle. Bend your knees with feet flat on the ground a few inches wider than hip-width apart. Place your hands on the ground on each side of your butt. Press your butt off the ground so you're supported on your palms and feet and your back is parallel to the ground. Lead everyone in kicking their right leg into the center of the circle, then their left leg, for a total of 10 kicks on each side.

Cool down: Stand in a circle and lead your family through some toe touches, low-back stretches and arm swings for 3-5 minutes to cool down.

Workout 2: Metabolism Booster Building muscle keeps metabolism revved up so you burn more calories even while at rest. It also builds strength so everyone can help out with cleaning up and taking out the garbage!

Warm up with a family stroll: 5-10 minutes. You don't have to work up much of a sweat, just use it to get moving and loosen up the muscles.

Turkey squats: Line up in a row with feet hip-width apart with hands clasped behind your back. Lean forward a few inches from the hips and stride forward with your right foot. As your right foot touches the ground, bend both knees so that your right thigh is parallel to the ground and your left thigh is perpendicular to it. Stand back up and repeat with left leg. Continue for a total of 10-15 times each side.

Rear lunges: Line up in a row with feet hip-width apart with hands on hips. Step back with left foot about a stride's length and bend both knees until your left thigh is perpendicular to the floor and your right thigh is parallel to it. Stand back up, return to the start and do the next rep with your right leg. Continue alternating for a total of 10-15 reps each side. Do 2 sets.

Wheelbarrows: Split into groups of one adult and one child. (If you don't have an even number of adults and kids, have the kids take turns being "the wheel barrow".) Each child get into a plank position facing down, balanced on toes and palms, backs straight. The adult grabs the child's ankles and lifts the legs up as if holding onto the handles of a wheelbarrow. With the adult guiding the movement, the child walks his hands forward about 50 feet, then turns around and hand-walks back to the start. Keep going until each child has had two turns.

Towel rows: Split into pairs. Give each pair a bath towel or thick sweatshirt. Sit on the ground facing each other, legs out straight with knees slightly bent. Each person grabs the towel firmly in both hands. One person bends her elbows and pulls the towel towards her chest as the other person resists. On the next rep, the other person pulls as the first person resists. Keep backs straight and shoulders down. Repeat for 10-15 rows per person.

Push-ups: While in a circle with heads towards the center, get into a plank position balanced on palms and toes, backs straight. Bend elbows to lower your body towards the ground. When your upper arm is as close to parallel to the ground as possible, push back up. Repeat 10-15 times. (Those who find this too challenging can balance on their knees and palms to do a "modified" push-up.) Do 2 sets.

Cool down: Stand in a circle and lead your family through some toe touches, low-back stretches and arm swings for 3-5 minutes to cool down.

Workout 3 - Minds & Bodies Workout A great way for the whole clan to escape the holiday hustle and bustle for 20 minutes.

Warm up with a family stroll: 5-10 minutes. You don't have to work up much of a sweat, just use it to get moving and loosen up the muscles.

Calf stretch: Have everyone stand a stride's length away from a park bench, a tree, the side of the house or some other reasonably flat surface. Keeping your legs straight, place your palms against the surface and lean into it until you feel a stretch through the back of your lower legs. Hold 30 seconds, take a short break and repeat.

Side thigh stretch: Spread out in a wide circle facing one another. Step with your right leg a stride's length to the side, bend your right knee slightly and turn your torso in the direction your knee is facing. Place your hands on your right thigh and gently shift your weight forward until you feel a stretch in the back of your left thigh and the top of your right thigh. Hold 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.

Hamstring stretch: Stay in the circle and stand with your feet hip-width apart. Step forward with your right leg, knee straight, and lift your toe up. Lean forward from the hips and reach your hands toward your right toe until you feel a stretch through the back of your thigh. Hold 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.

Cat-cow: Still in your circle, stand with your feet hip-width apart and your knees bent several inches. Pull your abdominals gently inward and lean forward from your hips. Place your palms on top of your thighs. Slowly round your back upward and hold for 5 slow counts, then arch your back and hold for 5 slow counts. Repeat 2-3 times. When you round your back you should feel a mild stretch through your lower back, and when you arch your back you should feel a stretch in both your abdominals and lower back.

Chest expander: Still in your circle, stand tall with your hands clasped behind your back. Gently raise your arms behind you until you feel a stretch spread through your chest, shoulders and arms. Breath deeply and hold for 30 seconds.

Campfire: Stand or sit in a circle facing one another with knees drawn up to the chest and hands clasped around shins. Press your hands gently into your shins to pull your spine up tall. Close your eyes and take deep breaths for 3 minutes, slowly inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. As you breathe, go around the circle and have each family member name something he or she is thankful for this holiday season.

Neal Pire developed the largest athletic kids' program in northern New Jersey, where he trained thousands of athletes, from pee-wee soccer players to NFL players and Olympic medalists. Turning varsity athletes into all-county and all-state scholarship athletes is his specialty. Neal is an exercise physiologist with 26 years of professional experience training both de-conditioned adults and competitive athletes, as well as educating other trainers to hone their personal training and athletic conditioning skills. You can reach Neal at SportsTrainingAcademy.com