Family Fitness in Kansas City

Family Fitness Kansas City!

Fitness Fun for the Whole Family!

By Amy Gipson

Families and especially children these days are growing up in an environment surrounded by screens and technology. You essentially cannot even enjoy a family dinner these days without a television in front of you or a cell phone buzzing at you. While this technology is not only multifunctional, useful, brilliant in design and super cool, it is becoming more and more toxic to the health and wellbeing of our families. In my personal opinion, we are spending far too much time in front of a screen of some sort rather than being active. That combined with the easy access to junk food, fast food and far less physical education in schools than what I recall growing up are creating a childhood and parenthood health danger.

My purpose for writing this article is to motivate families to think outside the box and become active together. Parents, let alone children, need to get involved whether it be in traditional sports training or in nontraditional sports training. “Children glean many benefits from playing sports, including improved fitness, better social and verbal interaction, increased self-esteem and confidence, improved physical self-perception and academic success (Lloyd et al. 2013).” Parents involved in fitness are less stressed, they have more energy for these activities and are overall happier and healthier. The single best way to shift the focus from this health epidemic to a more positive solution is by becoming more active as whole. Getting families moving together will have a huge impact on overall health and keeping these activities upbeat will allow both parents and children to fully engage with each other. Often times children won’t mind being away from “the screens” when they are having fun..

Kids, and parents alike, will truly enjoy the change of pace weather it be from homemade obstacle courses, to a nature park excursion, to a new playground, to a theme park. The possibilities are truly endless, the family will burn calories together, develop memories together, learn to encourage each other and the advantages for kids growing bodies and keeping parents healthy are priceless.

To combat this ongoing struggle, here are a few suggestions and ideas to put excitement back into play for the entire family:

  1. SkyZone- (6495 Quivira Rd. Ste A, Shawnee, KS 66216 2.
  2. Valley Park (3900 E. 123rd Ter, Grandview, MO 64030) 3.
  3. TimberRidge Adventure (12300 S. Homestead Ln., Olathe, KS 66061)
  4. Cosmic Jump (12025 S. Strang Line Rd., Olathe, KS 66062)
  5. Pump It Up (7230 W. Frontage Rd., Shawnee, KS 66203)
  6. Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun (8000 NE Parvin Rd., Kansas City, MO 64161)
  7. Kansas City Zoo (6800 Zoo Dr., Kansas City, MO 64132)
  8. Schlitterbahn Water Park (9400 State Ave., Kansas City, KS 66112)
  9. Homemade obstacle courses, bike rides, the neighborhood pool and outdoor play
  10. Ernie Miller Nature Park (FYI-mosquito repellant necessary but those stairs and rugged terrain are killer) (909 N. Highway 7, Olathe, KS 66061)
Family Fitness - Ernie MIller Park

Ernie Miller Park

Skyzone Kansas City - Family Fitness

Skyzone Kansas City

Valley Park Kansas City - Family Fitness

Valley Park Kansas City