Exercising as a Family

The air is getting cooler and the days are much shorter. What a great time to try to encourage my anti-exercising family that we should start taking walks after dinner. Am I crazy to think that they will agree to this? I wish that I had tried to implement this routine when it was a little bit warmer – say June.

I told them at dinner last night that I was thinking that before it starts to sleet and snow and get really cold, we could try going for a walk after dinner, as a family. Just around the neighborhood where it is fairly well-lit and safe. I, for one, am feeling the effects of being less active since it has gotten colder. I could really benefit from some exercise and it certainly won’t hurt anyone else to burn a few calories.

My son was more than excited. The younger kids don’t seem to mind the cold at all. For him it was an adventure and he was more than up for it. Unfortunately his father and sister did not share his enthusiasm and they just shared an annoyed glance with each other and offered me absolutely no response. “COME ON”, I said, “we can just give it a try for a few weeks”. Finally they agreed, but they negotiated me down from every day to three times a week, which I agreed to without argument. I figure it is better than nothing.

I then sprung on them that we were starting right away. Reluctantly, my husband and daughter put on their coats and gloves and walked to the door as if I was physically hurting them. We did three laps around the neighborhood before my son said he had to go to the bathroom, which cut our walk a bit shorter than I had expected, but we were off to a good start.

When we got inside I said “same time same place tomorrow”? I told them that according to the weather report it was supposed to be unseasonably warm tomorrow and the next day. Day one of our family walks went much better than expected. I am hoping that my excitement about the family walks will eventually rub off on them.