Keeping your family fit can often mean a lot of expense, such as expensive gym memberships – and there there’s also the added expenses of the summer holidays! An easy way to cut back on the costs of keeping your family fit is to incorporate exercise into your daily parenting routine this summer.
Whether it’s making an investment in family bikes, finding free swimming pools, or checking out the thousands of free parks available, it’s easy to get your exercise while saving money this summer.
No. 1: Invest in Bikes
Rather than pay for monthly memberships at the gym for your whole family, put your cash towards a set of family bikes. This will work out far more cost-effective in the long run, as it opens up opportunities to combine your exercise with days out – and even gives you the option of extended bike riding holidays. Bikes are a great way to get your kids away from the screens and gadgets this summer – so pack a picnic and find some off-road trails to explore!
You Can Buy Great Brand Kid’s Bikes on Amazon
Amazon offers a lot of great options for kid’s bikes, including Schwinn and Strider kids’ bikes. I have bought bikes for my grandkids from them.
No. 2: Uncover Some Swimming Holes
America’s swimming holes might just be its best kept secret. From Mississippi to Arizona, the US is brimming with canyons and waterfalls – and they are home to some amazing small, natural swimming pools for families to make the most of. Many are off the beaten track, so finding them is as much of an adventure as the actual swimming – but trust us, it’s worth it. And swimming outdoors is so much fun, it won’t even feel like exercise!
No. 3: Find the Free Parks
Hike or bike the many beautiful free national parks scattered across America.Hike or bike the many beautiful free national parks scattered across America. From the stunning Yosemite in California to Acadia in Maine – where you can rent a cheap kayak and do some seal and whale watching – there’s plenty of outdoor fun to be had. Many of these nature parks will have free events on over summer – as well affordable activities for you to get involved in once you arrive. The National Park Service has spent over 100 years aiming to protect the biodiversity of these parks – and this would be a great way to immerse your children in mother nature while educating them about the importance of conservation.
No. 4: Team up for Gardening
If you’ve decided that you don’t want to step out of the comfort of your own home to get your workout this summer, simply venture into the garden.
Pulling weeds and planting flowers can burn up to 400 calories per hour – and it’s much more fun than an hour-long jog! Plant some vegetables at the beginning of the summer and the whole family can watch them grow over the weeks. Then, when they’re ripe for the picking, get the kids involved in the kitchen as you whip up a culinary storm – teaching them the value of homegrown produce and how to avoid unnecessary fatty foods.
No. 5: Use Your Imagination
If you want something completely free this summer, why not set up a family style Olympics in the back garden – just in time for Rio! From rugby to rounders, setting up mini circuits is a great way to get your children up and exercising while enjoying some quality family time as well.
So there you have it, the 5 best cheap ways to exercise with your family this summer!
Maggie wrote a very helpful post with 9 Simple Steps to Teach your Child to Ride a Bike.
If your child is still too young to ride a bike, consider taking him or her along on your bike! Read our in-depth post, 7 of the Best and Safest Baby and Child Bike Seats, with Reviews and Videos.
Guest post by Rory Nicolson
Guest post by Rory NicolsonRory Nicolson is an enthusiastic rugby fan and blogger for Rugbystore, the world’s leading rugby equipment retailer – helping aspiring athletes and committed rugby players up their game.
Check Out Our Most Popular Posts! | ||
| ||
Did you enjoy this post or find it helpful? If so, please support our blog! We write this blog because we love cycling. But we also need to earn a living, so we REALLY would appreciate if you click through to one of our reputable affiliates for your online shopping. We are proudly affiliated with Amazon, which sells pretty much everything, and has outstanding shipping and return policies. When you buy from our affiliates we make a small commission, and this is the only way we earn any income. Plus, it costs you nothing at all - a real win/win situation! | ||
