Top 7 Family Fun Ideas to Get "Functionally Fit"

1. Hungry, Hungry Hippos - This activity is perfect for parents with young children with limited time for exercising as a result of a hectic work and family schedule. For those that are unfamiliar with this popular children's game, the objective it to press down as quick as you can on a lever that controls your hippo's mouth. While your focus is on hitting that lever as fast as possible lay down on your stomach, tuck your elbows in tight, and shoot your legs out as far as you can. Now go on the balls of your feet, and lift your mid-section off the ground and arch your back. Incorporate your breathing and stay in that position for at least 30 seconds to a minute
    
2. Twister - By forcing your body to move into many different out of the ordinary positions, this game will definitely challenge your body's muscles to work as a whole. When you hear your color called out, attempt to position your body in a way that is difficult for you to maintain your posture. You must stay in that position for 30 seconds before the next person is allowed to move.
    
3. Play catch - You know we have to add an out-of-the-box, challenging element to this simple activity. Try throwing and catching a medicine ball, while standing on a rocker board.
    
4. Clean Up Your Room - Forget the treadmill, forget those aerobic DVDs, this exercise will help you lose weight, build muscle, and provide cardiovascular conditioning while spending quality time with your loved ones. Separate a large room into half with cones and divide your family into two teams. Each team gets 4-6 squishy balls (laundry) on their half of the room. The objective of this game is to throw your laundry into the other room. The team with the least amount of balls on their side of the room at the end of 2 minutes is declared the winner.
    
5. Ball Tag - Position your upper body on top of a large stability ball and go into a 3-point stance with your legs spread. You must move the stability ball and your body to avoid the soft squishy ball thrown by the other family members. Every time the ball moves, you will activate muscles deep in the pelvis, back, abdominal sections and hips. Because of the increased muscle activity, more calories are used, and more muscle is potentially built.
    
6. Races - In this task, you take the long, boring and painful exercise of jogging, and actually make it enjoyable for the entire family. Along with building muscle, burning calories, and gaining endurance, by hitting a ball up and down with a racquet as you jog your way to the finish line, you will also develop crucial concentration and hand-eye coordination skills.
    
7. Innovative Sport Ideas - As a guideline to developing your functional fitness, use equipment that can be used in a variety of planes, and that tasks your stability, balance or agility while practicing your family's favorite sport. For example, if you are a golfer, practice your swing while standing on two wobbly boards. If you're a soccer player, stand on a wobbly board and have a family member kick a soft foam ball at you. As you try to block the ball, maintain your balance.