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Together Counts

Helping Families Achieve Healthier Lifestyles Together!

By Susan Eaddy MacaroniKID North Philly November 9, 2022
At the core of Together Counts  message is the concept of moderation and energy balance – balancing the calories you consume with the calories you burn.  Let’s face it; getting the family all together to share regular meals or activities isn’t as easy as it used to be. Balancing hectic work schedules, after school activities and other social engagements with quality family time has become a job unto itself. Together Counts understands and has been helping families across the country solve these dilemmas by providing resources to get families enjoying more meals together and moving more often through physical activity. Calories in, calories out – it’s that simple! Thousands of families and schools from across the country have already put the program into practice in their communities with great results.

Check out the Together Counts website to learn more about how you can get involved with this exceptional new movement


Below are a few ideas Together Counts recently provided me to help get families here in Philadelphia on the road to energy balance this spring:

Be Creative: There are plenty of at home activities to get your family up and moving. Go for evening walks, weekend bike rides, play outdoor hide and seek or toss a ball. You can have fun by being creative right in your home.
 

Pick Your Meal: For some, scheduling a family dinner can be as difficult as moving a mountain (and far less scenic). If so, try making breakfast the family mealtime before the busy day begins. Studies show kids who eat breakfast perform better in school, and you’ll enjoy the fresh start to the day.
 

Encourage Green Thumbs:One of the most fun family activities to do outdoors is planting a flourishing spring garden. Grab your gardening gear and get the little ones to grow herbs, fruits, vegetables, flowers or whatever they like. Give each plant a name and schedule regular watering times to help teach them responsibility. You’ll also be surprised at the amount of calories you’ll burn bending, squatting and moving to perfect your creation.
 

• Find Local Freebies: You don’t need to spend an entire paycheck to get the family active together. There are plenty of local activities and events that are both fun and cost effective, Family Fun Festivals, Art events, upcoming winter festivals


• Set Weekly Challenges: Make getting active fun by creating family fitness challenges you can do together. Strap on pedometers and see who can take the most steps in a week or see who can do the most jumping jacks in a minute. The kids will enjoy the competition and fun challenges.

By remembering a few simple tips from Together Counts, you’ll be ready to enjoy a balanced spring filled with shared memories of family meals and fun.

Keep up with more info from the experts at Together Counts by visiting their blog or finding them on  Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest
Together Counts is a sponsor of Macaroni Kid.