4 Reasons Why You Should Make Family Walks a Daily Habit

With today’s advancements of tech culture, families are struggling to have meaningful connections and encourage healthy habits after a long day of work, school, and extracurricular activities. The majority of parents and children have some exposure to screens all day, then come home only to engage in more screen time. By opting for a 15 to 30-minute family walk after dinner rather than a TV show or video game, meaningful family connections and healthier habits can be established. 

If your family starts incorporating daily walks into your routine, you can reap these four benefits: 

1. Physical Benefits:  


Physical health benefits are the most widely known benefits of daily walks. Walking just 15-30 minutes per day can help combat childhood obesity, improve endurance and agility, strengthen muscles, develop essential motor skills, improve digestion, offer immune support, stimulate healthier sleep patterns, and even help prevent chronic diseases.  

2. Emotional Benefits: 


Walking also encourages emotional wellbeing in children. A short-distance walk can decrease stress levels, boost mood and energy, and combat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) among other emotional benefits. 

3. Academic Benefits: 


Your child may also benefit on an academic level. Research shows that daily walks can improve overall school performance, promote concentration, improve learning abilities, and stimulate creative skills. 

4. Social and Bonding Benefits: 


Family walks open up new forms of conversations dependent on the environment, offer a safe space for your child to decompress, and show your littles the importance of initiating regular bonding time with loved ones.  

If walking offers all these great benefits, why do families naturally gravitate towards the couch?  

It’s easier. 

James Clear talks about this in his best-selling book Atomic Habits. Our brains want to take the path that requires less effort. Obviously, it’s a lot easier to kick off your shoes, plop on the couch, and navigate the remote than it is to change into your running shoes, wrangle your family to do the same, and get out of the house for 30 minutes of exercise. To help make walking a daily habit, start small and find creative ways to make it a simple process (ie: line up everyone’s running shoes by the door in the morning, start with a 10-minute walk, etc.).  

Happy walking! Share your favorite go-to trails in the comments section.