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Fun family fitness challenges guaranteed to tire your kids out

30 April 2020 - by YMCA of Greater Toronto
Does it feel like your kids are bouncing off the walls? These fitness challenges will let them burn off some of that pent-up energy and give the whole family something fun to do while you’re at home together.

Challenge 1: Endurance


Here’s what you’ll need:

  • A chart like the one below

  • A stopwatch or kitchen timer


Let’s get started!

Here’s how it works:

1. Challenge your family to face off for a test of their endurance! You’ll be doing three exercises: wall sits, tree poses, and planks. It’s a friendly competition, so make sure everyone knows they should modify the exercises to their own comfort level and stop when their body tells them to.

2. Starting all together at the same time, everyone gets into a wall sit, our first endurance activity. Hold it for as long as you can!

3. If you finish before others, cheer them on to motivate them to keep going.

4. Let each person record their time on the chart. That’s Round 1, done!

5. Take a breather, then repeat steps two to four for planks and tree poses.

6. Once you’ve done all three exercises in Round 1, repeat for Rounds 2 and 3. Were you able to improve your time with each round?

A chart with the exercises for challenge 1

Challenge 2: Reps


Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Another chart that’s pretty much the same as the one you made for Challenge 1, but this time, write in the new exercises below

  • A stopwatch or kitchen timer


Let’s get started!

Here’s how it works:

1. Challenge your family (yet again!) to a test of their strength and stamina. Just like last time, you’ll be doing three exercises: sit ups, burpees, and mountain climbers. But instead of holding static poses for as long as you can, you’ll be doing as many reps as you can fit in one minute!

2. Once you start the timer, everyone starts their minute of sit ups, counting as they crunch.

3. When the timer goes off after a minute, it’s time to stop.

4. Each family member records the number of sit ups they were able to complete. That’s Round 1, done!

5. Take a breather, then repeat steps two to four for burpees and mountain climbers.

6. Once you’ve done all three exercises in Round 1, repeat for Rounds 2 and 3. Were you able to fit in more reps with each round?

A chart laying out the exercises for challenge 2

Keep the fun going! Upload your completed charts to your social channels, tag us @ymcagta, and tag three others families. Challenge them to beat your scores!

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