The Hubby and I are both runners, just converted within the last two years. We enjoy mixing up our running workouts and giving ourselves new challenges, so this summer we found a local middle school track and took the whole family to get in some speed work.
We had planned what we were going to do, but we ended up doing some running with the boys as well and it became a great fun family track workout!
Here are a few ideas for taking the whole family to the track and getting a good workout:
1. Parent-Child Partner Relay
One parent and one child take a lap around the track at the child’s easy pace. Clarify for your child that this is not the time to sprint, but to warm up or cool down. When one parent and child get back, the next pair can go! You can make it seem like a game by handing off something like a baton!
2. 100m Dash
This is one your speedy, competitive ones will like! Show them the start and finish for a 100m dash and tell them to run as fast as they can! Some kids will like racing other people, but ours thought is was fun to see how fast they could do it by themselves! We timed them one time, let them take a break, and then they wanted to see if they could go a little faster! It helped their competitive nature without creating any hurt feelings between siblings!
3. Race-a-Parent
The Hubby thought of this one and the boys just loved it! He tried to run around half the track before our eldest son {7} could run straight across the field. Our son won and thought it was the coolest thing ever! He gave Daddy a head start the second time and still won! Find a fun way to challenge them and yourselves at the same time by choosing a longer distance for yourself and a shorter, but comparable distance for your child based on their age, speed, etc.
A few notes to prepare…
*Scale this workout based on your child’s age, interest in fitness, etc. Don’t force them into sprinting if they’ve never run before and have no interest!
*Bring along a few balls, frisbees, or other active toys to keep kids entertained while everyone takes turns! I would throw a ball with one of the boys while The Hubby did a speed work lap, and then we would switch.
*Have fun! This is meant to get everyone active, but it is also supposed to be a fun family activity! Don’t miss that FUN part!
The boys have actually asked when we’re going back to the track, so I will call that a win!
Oh I love this! 🙂 We don’t live anywhere near a track, but I have converted one of my sons into a runner so far! Great ideas and how much fun when they are little. I love that a track is a controlled (and safe!) environment. Perfect.
Oh dear, I need to do more of this. I don’t exercise at all. My boys have been asking me to get a bike so we can have family rides on the weekends. As soon as I have the money I’m getting one 🙂