National Family Health and Fitness Day
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National Family Health and Fitness Day is celebrated every year on the last Saturday in September. This year that falls on September 26th. This day is used to promote physical activity and a healthy diet for everyone. Not only does this day call for healthy food and exercise but it also supports bringing family together to practice healthy habits. When a family strives to be healthy together, the rate of success increases! Using a team effort to accomplish your goals allows you to have someone push you as well as keeping you accountable. This day is used to apply some healthy eating habits and physical activity in a fun way with your family by your side.
History
Health and wellness have been promoted for years. In the 1940s, the American Medical Association and the National Committee of Physical Fitness worked together to encourage healthy behavior such as eating good as well as physical activity. Their view was to improve the overall health of the American population. They had some competition in the 1950s with many popular food chain restaurants opening such as McDonald’s. It wasn’t until 1996 when the National Family Health and Fitness Day was created by the Health and Information Resource Center.
Ways to Celebrate
There are so many fun ways to celebrate this day. It could be anything from playing fetch outside with your dog, going on a run, walk or bike ride together as a family, joining a fitness class or even participating in your favorite sport together. Other fun ideas include things like making a fun family dinner meal with everyone playing a role in the preparation.
This is a day for everyone! Nobody is too young to be left out of the fun. This is a great time to find a routine and find something your family really likes to do together. Showing children that being healthy and active is fun and exciting at a young age will allow them to carry this throughout their life.
This year might look a little different since we are currently in the COVID-19 pandemic, but that doesn’t mean we cannot have fun and celebrate. There may not be the option to attend fitness classes or go to certain events because of social distancing, however, there are still many alternative ways to participate. This day is just about taking the time to have fun and be active with your family. There are no instructions on what you need to do or accomplish to be successful on this day. There are so many ways you can make this day your own. Be creative. Have fun and focus on spending time and being healthy with your loved ones.
Author: Samantha Potocnik
Samantha is an intern at EVOLVE and a student at the University of Wisconsin River Falls.
Resources:
Right Way Healthcare
National Day Calendar
National Today
