Live Lighter | Healthy Lifestyle Blog –

The days are getting longer, the sun is shining harder, and I can’t help but feel spring is right around the corner! This is the perfect time for guest blogger, Ken Myers, to impart some inspirational advice about getting active outdoors with the entire family.  

As summer approaches most of us start to plan our vacations or at least begin thinking about getting out of doors and basking in the sun. Sometimes life gets so busy that we put very little thought into our lives and we get into ruts. We go to the same places and do the same things every year without much thought.

Spending time outside doing things with your family can really change all of your lives. So often we stay penned up in the house with our computers, television, and smart phones that we forget there is life outside of our world.

We are increasingly becoming unhealthier because we drive everywhere we go or fly. We seldom walk or ride our bikes and most of us seldom even spend a couple hours a week as a family doing anything. Even our vacations have become separated by sending one group of kids to this event and another to that one and the adults somewhere else.

Our families need to be put into situations where we actually do things physically together and somewhere that we do not depend on technology. That is what is so great about doing things outdoors as a family. When you are riding your bikes you can’t be using your phones or computers. We all need to make a point of spending more time doing things outside with our entire family. We need to bond and we need to get healthy, physically and mentally.

Making the decision to start doing things as a family can be hard going at first, you have to take baby steps. When summer gets here and the days are longer it is a perfect time to start. Most of us get home from work before it gets dark in the summers. Start this summer by making a commitment to take a walk or bike ride together as a family after dinner. It does not have to be a long walk, just set out and do it. Talk as you walk or ride about what your days were like.

Actually look at the scenery and talk to the neighbors. You will be surprised at how much you did not know about your own neighborhood. Make this a daily thing and get into the habit. After a week or two you will all be surprised at how good you feel and how much more energy you have. You will even find that you are sleeping much better than before.

After getting into a routine, seeing how much better you all feel and finding out how much you actually missed spending time with each other, then you can start planning weekend trips. If your children are older and are hesitant on doing these things with you, I encourage you even more to plan this weekend event where you stay outdoors and away from home for a time.

Finding places to spend time outdoors is not at all difficult in most parts of the world. Take a look on the internet and ask what sights there are to see in a hundred mile or less radius of your home. You will be pleasantly surprised to see what you have been missing unless you already live somewhere gorgeous where you do nothing but spend time outdoors already.

There are so many places, such as natural water falls, beautiful springs, interesting caves, rivers and lakes, farms and ranches, and the list goes on. One way to get your family out into nature and ensure that they do not use technology and ignore each other is to go camping. There is no experience that bonds a family together quite as much as a camping trip. You are away from your comfort zone and find that you are dependent on each other for entertainment.

There you cook together, eat together, sleep together, and you are out amongst the stars. You are also side by side with other people in the same situation and many times you can make life long friends because in this environment people tend to look out for each other. When you camp you can hike, fish, swim, and take day trips to other nearby attractions. The wild life is abundant and the possibilities are endless.

Even if you have a camping trip gone awry you are sure to have a bonding experience. Families often grow closer during the very good times or the not so good times. And then later on down the line you can laugh about the bad camping trip, either way you have memories to share.

Getting closer as a family is so important, we need the support of our families forever. Getting healthy as a family will not only help us physically but create the bonds we need to stay close for the rest of our lives. It is so important to make the time for family outings because we all need family and we all need to get healthy.

About the Author

Ken Myers is a father, husband, and entrepreneur. He has combined his passion for helping families find in-home care with his experience to build a business. Learn more about him by visiting @KenneyMyers on Twitter.

Have you gone on a camping trip with the family? Feel free to share some of your stories with us!

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