Why moving together helps

What are the benefits of exercising as a family?

The best-supported benefit is more activity: walking with other people tends to raise how much adults move, and many parents say being active together brings the family closer.

Group walking programmes raised activity by a medium amount. Effects were larger for older adults, and larger when activity was still measured after six months, which suggests that social support may help people keep up the change¹. Parents and caregivers describe the time together as bonding, and say the whole family became more active^2,5.

To make it work for you:

• Ask a friend or family member to walk with you. Group walking is the most familiar way of moving together.
• Start with short, easy walks and build up gradually. Every bit of activity counts.
• Choose something everyone enjoys and can manage, so it feels like time together rather than a task.

How do shared active memories bond a family?

Parents say that being active together takes away everyday distractions such as phones and TV, and that they had fun, felt closer and more united, and tried things they might not otherwise have done². Caregivers also describe the time as bonding and as improving relationships⁵.

Measured results are more cautious. Shared activity may support how people get on with each other, but it doesn't establish a general effect on relationship quality. Family activity programmes showed more consistent effects on cohesion and organisation than on overall family functioning⁶. These are mostly people's own accounts, so treat them as hopeful rather than certain.

What you can do with that:

• Pick a regular, easy activity you can do together, such as a walk, and leave phones in pockets or at home.
• Try something new together now and then. Parents said this added to the fun².

Are family fitness challenges a good idea?

They can be, but they're promising rather than proven for families. In a family step challenge for families with a child aged 7–11, adults' moderate-to-vigorous activity rose over eight weeks, and adults said it made the family more aware of how much they moved. That gain had faded by one year⁷.

In adults in other settings, challenges built on support or on friendly competition raised activity^8,9. Whether working as a team helps as much is less clear. Parents also stressed finding activities suitable for the whole family².

If you try one:

• Keep it simple and friendly, such as who walks the most steps or distance in a day.
• Let people take part at their own level.
• Celebrate effort rather than who comes first, so no one feels left behind.
• Avoid body-focused goals. Content that stresses body image, or heavy use of social platforms, may reduce wellbeing and weaken motivation¹⁰.

Can your activity inspire family and friends?

Possibly, though what we know is a link rather than proof. Among adults aged 50 and over, people whose partner became physically active were much more likely to become more active themselves. A partner who had only recently become active was linked with stronger change than one who had always been active³.

Parents also said they wanted to be good role models, and that taking part themselves made it easier to encourage their children². Caregivers described seeing a parent take part as encouraging others to be active⁵.

Influence isn't guaranteed. Support from friends and family is linked with more leisure-time activity in older adults, but this can't show whether support makes people active or whether active people attract more support¹¹. In partners, companionship on its own wasn't linked with having similar activity levels¹². How big your influence is, and whether it lasts, isn't clear yet.

What helps:

• Keep up your own activity and let others see you enjoying it. Don't push anyone.
• Ask what makes being active hard for them. They may feel overwhelmed or embarrassed. Then offer to walk together¹³.
• Notice and praise effort, for example: "Great job getting a walk in today!"¹³

When to check with a health professional

If you're starting exercise after a long break, it's always a good idea to see your doctor first. For an injury or a health condition, see a health professional, such as your doctor or a physio. They can also advise on the right type and amount of activity for you or anyone you move with, including a family member with a long-term condition or a disability.

Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure (or pain spreading to the arm, neck, jaw or back, especially with sweating or feeling sick), severe breathlessness, fainting or collapse, signs of a stroke, a serious injury, or someone who isn't safe.

Unusual tiredness isn't an emergency, but get it checked by a doctor.

Soreness a day or two after a harder session is normal. For a sore muscle or joint, ease off, and see a doctor or other health professional if it persists or gets worse. Walking in groups rarely causes problems; an occasional fall is the main thing reported¹⁴, so take care on uneven or wet ground.