5 Tips For Encouraging Your Family To Get Fit Together

Singapore has no shortage of sunshine, nature, and outdoorsy family-friendly activities – so why can it feel so tough to motivate the family to be active together?  Whether it’s ungluing your kids from their screens, dragging your partner away from work, or simply navigating already-packed schedules, it can sometimes feel like a battle to get everyone moving.

That said – it’s never too late to start building family fitness rituals and cultivating a love of movement for your kids.  Here are my best tips:

Find an activity that’s age and ability-appropriate.

We have small toddlers right now - too young to ride their own bikes, but old enough to stay seated on the back of one.  An easy way for us all to get outside in the fresh air is to rent sharing bikes (that come with child seats) and cycle around to different parks and outdoor destinations where the kids can run free.  Got older ones?  Try folding bikes for the whole fam. They can be taken on the MRT or easily tossed in the boot of a taxi so the adventure potential (and contingency plan in the case of small, tired legs) is endless.

Establish a specific “activity” day so the kids get used to the idea of being active together. 

When I was growing up, Sunday mornings were reserved for a non-negotiable family walk.  Even when my brother and I complained, my parents didn’t budge, and most of the time we really enjoyed it once we actually got going.  It doesn’t have to feel “forced” or complicated – even something as simple as walking to a favourite breakfast spot (instead of driving or taking public transport) can work.

Allow your kids access to active spaces.

It’s OK to leave the kids behind so you can escape to the gym – but it’s even better if you can find a way to give your kids “behind the scenes” access to actually watch you exercise!  Whether it’s tagging along for a workout class, sitting in the stands to watch your badminton game, or inviting your kids to run a few laps during your track session, one of the most powerful predictors of kids’ eventual interest in exercise is their exposure to seeing their parents actually doing it themselves.

Convert “normal” family activities into active ones.

Usually order in weekend dinners at home?  Try packing a picnic to a public park instead, where you can cycle, walk or skate after your meal.  Can’t get your teens off their screens?  Join a virtual scavenger hunt that combines phone-based riddles and puzzles with plenty of real-world clue-finding on foot.  Even the littlest ones can join in on the fun; just baby-wearing newborns and young infants while you run errands can start to introduce the idea of moving together as a family.

Be flexible and roll with the punches. 

Had the perfect active family day planned – until it got rained out?  It happens.  Being committed to staying active as a family also means adapting when the best-laid plans go awry.  Having a list of simple, still-active backup ideas – checking out an indoor trampoline park instead of a rainy trip to the Children’s Garden, for example – can save a lot of complaining, confusion, and frustration.  And hey – for those days when nothing seems to work, you can take a page out of my personal playbook and record a TikTok dance together as a family (believe me, kids love watching Mum & Dad make fools of themselves on camera – even if you choose not to post it).

There’s no “right” way to exercise or get active as a family – and it doesn’t always have to revolve around organised activities or team sports.  Simply encouraging daily movement, setting strong examples, and keeping your energy around exercise positive and fun can go a long way in making fitness a natural part of your family’s lifestyle.

Amanda Lim is a certified fitness & nutrition coach, perinatal specialist, and mother of two.  American by birth but Singaporean at heart, she enjoys hot yoga & CrossFit – followed by a big bowl of laksa. You can find her at @coachamandalim and .