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12 alaska parent spring 2024 AlaskaParent.comhealth & wellness Health news for the whole family• Take a family walk. Not only is a family walk a good source of physical activity, it also gives your family the opportunity to talk with one another. Go for a walk before or after dinner, walk the dog, walk to school, or walk to the grocery store.• Go for a hike. Hiking is a great way to get some exercise and explore nature as a family. Alaska has a wealth of hiking trails that can be as easy or challenging as your family needs.• Ride a bike. Take a bike ride to the library, a playground or the park. Or ride along a family-friendly bike path and take in the scenery.• Play at a recreation center. Choose activities that require movement, such as bowling, swimming, indoor rock climbing, bouncing at a trampoline park, or ice skating.• Take a Geocaching journey. Explore Alaska in a high-tech adventure game using GPS-enabled devices and apps to navigate and find a hidden geocache.• Play sports. Pick a sport that the whole family can enjoy and participate in, such as soccer, basketball, tennis, volleyball, or throwing a frisbee or ball.• Plan a scavenger hunt. Create a list of items or clues, and hide them around your backyard or a nearby park. Divide into teams and race against each other to find the items or solve the clues.• Play old school games. Those simple, classic games like hopscotch, tag, hula hoops and jump rope are great ways to get the family moving without feeling like you’re working out.• Run. Sign up for a fun run and train for the event together. Cross the finish line together.• Play a crucial role. Becoming involved in your child’s sport through volunteering, coaching or just practicing with your child is one way to enjoy it as a family while also staying active.• Get hands dirty. Get everyone in the yard and let them work on something they can tend to and feel proud of. Kids can help with planting a garden, watering, raking leaves or pushing a mower.• Row your boat. Grab that canoe or kayak (or rent one) and explore one of the thousands of lakes and rivers Alaska has to offer.• Have a dance party. Put on some music and dance all over the house. It won’t take long to work up a sweat! For added fun, pause the music at random times to make a freeze dance game. • Take a fitness class. If you do better with a set schedule, add exercise to your family’s weekly schedule with a fitness class. Need ideas? Try Zumba, kickboxing or martial arts.fun,Make fitnessaffairafamilyStaying active is an important part of a healthy family. When the whole family is more active together, everyone benefits – physically, mentally and emotionally. Regular physical activity can help reduce stress and anxiety, lower the risk of disease, prevent weight gain, and improve mood. Doing fitness as a family is also a great way to spend quality time together, building stronger bonds and creating lasting memories.Consider adding fun physical activities into your routine to help make exercise an enjoyable and regular part of family life. When exercise feels like play, it’s easier for everyone to enjoy it – and stick with it.Ready to get moving? Here are some fun ideas for fitting family fitness into your schedule: