Your Daily Habits Become Your Kids' Future Habits

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Hey Friends,

Although we don’t have children ourselves, we genuinely enjoy spending time with friends who do. Family activities, being outdoors, and watching children grow into active adults are incredible experiences. Along the way, we've observed something interesting about active families:

They don’t default to screens when their kids are bored. Instead, they choose evening walks after dinner, bike rides, or simply running around playing. This doesn't mean they never watch TV or have downtime. They're not perfect—they still experience chaotic mornings and moments when life feels overwhelming. Rather, they've intentionally built momentum into their lifestyle. For children growing up in active families, movement and outdoor activities become second nature, simply part of everyday life. Weekends often involve adventures—even if it’s just exploring a new park. Their kids naturally gravitate toward being outside, trying new activities, and getting a little dirty. As a result, these families remain engaged and even learn the value of work—because let’s face it, outdoor activities usually require effort.

We've realized these families have simply made movement and outdoor time their default—not because they're superhuman parents, but because they've fostered a culture where being active feels normal. Every family's balance is different, and there's no one-size-fits-all approach.

Reflecting on our own childhoods, we can see how our parents' habits shaped our perception of "normal." Both Aaron’s parents and mine were very active when we were younger, but as life got busier with kids, work, and responsibilities, maintaining an active lifestyle became more challenging. While both our families remained active, we noticed our lives became increasingly TV-centric during our late teenage years. For Aaron, his favorite childhood memories revolve around summer trips to the family vacation home—swimming, rafting, canoeing, fishing, hiking, and shooting cans—activities that created some of his strongest memories. Growing up in suburban LA, my family didn’t have money for fancy activities like wakeboarding or resort trips, but my parents always found affordable ways to take us hiking, enjoy beach days, swim at the pool, and simply let us be kids playing outside.

Parents today face the same pressures our parents did—comparing themselves to other families, juggling work demands, feeling tired, managing the cost of living, and navigating the expenses of outdoor activities. But what the research shows is that kids don't just inherit their parents' genetics—they inherit their habits. And the good news? Those habits don't need to be expensive or Instagram-worthy to make a lasting impact.

What's Inside

• 🧠 This Week’s Shared Shift

• 📊 Why It Works

• 🤝 Do This Together

• ⚡Customizing It to Your Level or Goal

• 💬 Couple’s Check-in Prompt

• 📈 Momentum Marker

  • 🔁 TL;DR → Your kids are watching and learning wha …

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🧠 This Week’s Shared Shift

The Reality Check: Right now, your kids are taking mental notes about what "normal adult life" looks like. They're not just listening to what you say about exercise—they're watching what you actually do.

The Shift: Instead of treating fitness as something you do separately from family life, start viewing movement as a family value that you model daily. Your activity level is one of the strongest predictors of your child's future relationship with movement.

When you come home stressed and immediately go for a walk instead of collapsing on the couch, you're teaching your kids that movement is how adults handle life's challenges. When you suggest a family bike ride on Saturday morning, you're showing them that being active is what families do together.

The goal isn't to become a fitness influencer family. It's to normalize movement as part of daily life so your kids grow up thinking "this is what grown-ups do."

📊 Why It Works

Recent meta-analysis research shows that positive parental influence on physical activity has a statistically significant correlation with child activity levels.

Put simply: when parents are active, kids are more likely to be active too.

But here's the reality check: Only 20% to 28% of 6- to 17-year-olds meet the 60 minutes of daily physical activity recommended by the U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

The Science Behind Modeling:

• Systematic reviews show a consistent positive relationship between parent and child physical activity regardless of age or gender

• Children of active parents are significantly more likely to become active adults

• Kids learn "normal" behavior through observation more than instruction

• Family-based physical activity interventions show higher success rates than individual approaches

What This Means: Your kids aren't just watching what you do—they're learning what "normal" looks like. Make movement part of that normal.

🤝 Do This Together

This Week's Challenge: Include one family movement activity this week. The specific activity matters less than the message you're sending: This is what our family does. We move.

Easy Options:

• Evening walk around the neighborhood after dinner

• Weekend bike ride to a local park

• Playground workout while kids play

• Family soccer game in the backyard

• Hiking trail exploration

• Active household project (gardening, cleaning garage, organizing basement)

Pro Tips for Success:

• Make it fun, not a workout

• Let kids help choose the activity

• Focus on time together, not fitness goals

• Start small (10-15 minutes is perfect)

• Be consistent rather than intense

The Long Game: Research shows that physically active children are likely to become active adults. You're not just exercising for yourself—you're showing your kids what it means to prioritize health and see movement as a non-negotiable part of life.

⚡Customizing It to Your Level or Goal

If you're just starting out:

• Begin with 10-minute evening walks

• Use household chores as movement opportunities

• Play active games indoors (dance parties, hide and seek)

• Focus on consistency over intensity

If you're already active:

• Include kids in your warm-up or cool-down

• Create family challenges (who can do the most jumping jacks?)

• Plan active family adventures on weekends

• Show kids your workout space and explain why you exercise

If you have young kids (under 8):

• Focus on playground activities

• Nature walks with discovery games

• Living room dance parties

• Simple obstacle courses in the backyard

If you have teens:

• Respect their independence while modeling consistency

• Invite them to join without pressure

• Share your fitness goals and progress

• Support their own activity interests

Time-Crunched Families:

• Active commuting (walk/bike to school when possible)

• Take stairs instead of elevators

• Park farther away and walk

• Use commercial breaks for movement

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💬 Couple’s Check-in Prompt

Take 10 minutes this week to discuss:

• What do you remember about how your parents approached physical activity?

• What positive memories do you want to create for your own kids?

• What did you wish your parents had done differently?

• How can we make movement feel natural and fun in our home?

The activities you choose matter less than the culture you create together.

📈 Momentum Marker

Track This Week: How many days did you include movement as a family activity?

Success Metric: 3+ days of family movement (even 10 minutes counts)

Celebration Trigger: When you hit your target, celebrate it! Acknowledge that you're actively creating a healthy family culture.

Next Week Preview: We'll explore how to support each other's fitness goals without turning your spouse into your training partner.

🔁 FORWARD THIS TO A BUSY COUPLE

Your health goals don’t have to compete with your partner.
This is the kind of email they’ll thank you for later.

Let’s build your foundation—side by side.

— Jaylene + Aaron

P.S…Three quick asks before you go. 

• Give us some ❤️ on Instagram @syncyourwellness

• If you have a requested topic to be discussed regarding couples health strategies, email us at [email protected] and let us know. 

• Take 1 moment to answer this poll. 👇

P.P.S….Looking to align your health goals as a couple, prioritize your fitness and nutrition? Check out these top guides:

1. The Couple That Lifts Together...Builds More Than Strength 

2. Be Their Health Co-Pilot, Not Their Coach  

3. The 1-Hour Habit That Builds Focus and Reduces Friction 

📚 Resources:

1. Efficacy of physical activity shared between parents and children to improve sports initiation in the M.A.M.I.deporte® program

2. Do Parents’ Exercise Habits Predict 13–18-Year-Old Adolescents’ Involvement in Sport?

3. Parental Influence on Young Children's Physical Activity

4. Promoting physical activity in children through family-based intervention: protocol of the “Active 1 + FUN” randomized controlled trial

5. 2024 US Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth shows few children are getting the recommended daily dose of activity

6. US Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth

7. The influence of parental modelling on children’s physical activity and screen time: Does it differ by gender?

8. STUDY: JUGGLING MULTIPLE YOUNG CHILDREN HINDERS VIGOROUS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR PARENTS