Staying Fit as a Family When You’re Stuck Indoors
Staying fit as a family is a priority, but we try to find activities that feel more like play to keep it fun! Walks, swinging in our backyard, climbing the jungle gym at the park, and horseback riding are just a few of our favorite ways to get some exercise and enjoy each other’s company.
These are primarily outdoor activities, and with winter on its way, there are going to be some days where we are stuck indoors. However, this doesn’t mean that we have to become couch potatoes! Dancing is an amazing workout and it’s FUN! Plus, you can dance just about anywhere you have a little bit of space!
Our favorite activities for staying fit as a family by dancing:
Freestyle: Push PLAY on the family “jams” playlist and let it go! Wiggle, twist, jump, and just dance! We have a freestyle dance party at least once a week, sometimes before bed to “get the sillies out.”
Conga Line: This wedding classic is a blast at home! We make a choo-choo train and circle around the house, taking turns being the leader.
FREEZE: One person is in charge of the music. Everybody dances until the music stops, then you have to freeze in place. The first person to move is out and gets to run the music for the next round.
Dance Party: We recently got the new Just Dance 2016 game for our XBOX One, which takes our dancing to a new level. There are over 40 funky family-friendly songs and different games (both competitive and co-op) that keep everyone entertained for hours! It’s fun to see who has the best moves for each song and it’s a great way to wear the kids out…I mean, get them moving!
Lilu was thrilled to see some of her favorite Disney songs including “Let it Go” and “Under the Sea,” but there are also plenty of Top 40 hits that older kids will recognize. One thing that really impressed me about this game is that it is very forgiving for young players. Lilu is 7 and I was worried that she might get discouraged if she couldn’t hit all the moves just right, but that wasn’t the case at all. If anything, she became more confident as she played!
Mom and Dad have also been known to have the occasional “dance-off” after the girls are asleep. Those competitions can get a little more intense, but it’s all in good fun of course! Bonus: this game is better cardio than many dedicated workout routines I’ve tried! I can really feel it the next day, so I know I was working something!
Just Dance 2016 is more accessible than ever with the Just Dance Controller App, which allows players on new-gen consoles to use their smartphone to track their moves and navigate through the game. No peripherals or added console cameras are needed to enjoy Just Dance 2016 on new-gen! This feature is SO neat — we just downloaded the app from iTunes and it turned our smartphones into controllers! (We are always draining the batteries on our console controllers, so this keeps us in the game longer!)
Just Dance 2016 would make the perfect gift for the kids, or a family gift that you can all enjoy together. (It’s meant for ages 6 and up, but as you can see, Annabelle loved to join in too!) See the full track list and find out how to purchase here!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
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