Make Thanksgiving More Active

Eat, play and get moving!

If you’re like me and my family, Thanksgiving is all about gratitude—and eating! And lazing on the couch watching football as we try to digest 20 pounds of turkey, stuffing and delicious pumpkin pie are long-lived traditions that everyone looks forward to. But the more we know about health and nutrition, the more we realize that there are better ways to digest that giant feast while still enjoying the company of those we love. With that in mind, I’ve pulled together some ideas on how you can make your Thanksgiving more active that I think you’ll love!

1. Trot like a turkey

Start the day off with a short run (these local runs usually benefit charity). Most big cities around the US have Turkey Trots or some variation of that which are 5K (3.1 miles). You can join in even if you’re not a runner; I know that many people walk or do a walk-run combination. They usually have fun runs for kids too, so it’s a great event for the entire family.

2. Do a leaf looking expedition

Even if you live in Florida or other areas where the leaves don’t actually change, it’s still fun to go for a walk around the neighborhood in search of interesting leaves. I recommend bringing a bag with you to bring home the winners.

3. Play!

Depending on the age of your children and guests that are joining you for the holidays, get everyone together to go outside and play a variety of games. Here’s some of my favorites:

• Relay races • Duck Duck Turkey (instead of duck, duck, goose) • Flag football • Sack races • Find the turkeys (hide paper or small stuffed turkeys around the yard) • Thanksgiving scavenger hunt (break everyone up into teams) • Tom the Turkey Says (instead of Simon Says) • Pass the pumpkin (teams line up and have to pass a mini pumpkin tucked under their chin to the next person who has to only use their chin, no hands)

4. Take a hike

After dinner, instead of heading to the armchair, take everyone outside for a short hike. The fresh air and walk allows you to digest the big meal and spend time together talking and enjoying the great outdoors.

5. Bounce, jump and have a romping good time

I don’t recommend you do this right after dinner for obvious reasons, but If you have a trampoline, get everyone to come out and have some fun bouncing. They’ll burn calories while they laugh, jump and do their own thing on the trampoline. Make sure everyone gets a turn—even the “grownups” love to see how high they can bounce!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and I know I’m not the only one who looks forward to spending time with my family and feasting on a delicious meal. And making the day more active is not only a great way to bring everyone together and have fun, it makes the day heathier. Here are some more ideas on staying active and fit using a trampoline.