--- title: "A 20-minute family workout in the living room" status: "Idea, not yet tested" published: "2026-10-15" updated: "2026-10-15" author: "Dad Field Manual editors (drafted with AI help)" time: "20 min" cost: "$0" ages: "4 to 14" where: "Any clear patch of floor with a bare wall nearby: the living room with the coffee table pushed back, or the yard on a nice day." topics: ["dad-health"] print: "https://dadfieldmanual.com/print?p=family-workout" url: "https://dadfieldmanual.com/plans/family-workout/" --- # A 20-minute family workout in the living room > You need muscle work twice a week and the kids need to burn off energy every day. Push the coffee table back, and in twenty minutes you'll all have done six stations twice, with you in it, not just coaching. **Tested on:** not yet. When a dad tries this, his name, the date, the place, and the kids' ages will be added here. ## What you need - A clear patch of floor and a bare wall (have) - A phone or kitchen timer (have) - Six sheets of paper and a marker for station signs (have) - A towel or mat for the floor moves (have) - Water bottles for everyone (have) ## Before you start - **Clear the floor.** Push back tables with sharp corners, pick up toys, and go barefoot or in grippy socks, not slick socks on hard floors. - **Space between people.** Arm's length apart for jumping jacks and high knees, so nobody gets kicked or elbowed. - **Start easy.** CDC says start slowly and build up. If you have a chronic condition, ask your health care provider what activity is right for you. - **Stop if anything hurts,** for you or them. Sit out a round and drink some water. ## Steps 1. **Make six station signs** (Together) Kids write or draw one move on each sheet: jumping jacks, wall sit, bear crawl, push-ups, squats, high knees. Tape them around the room with space between. Takes about three minutes, and the signs can be reused. 2. **Warm up for three minutes** (Dad leads) March in place, then arm circles forward and back, then a slow jog in place. Say, “Copy me,” and keep it easy. You should be able to talk the whole time. 3. **Show each move slowly** (Dad shows, Kid copies) Walk the circuit once, doing two slow reps at each sign. Wall sit: back flat on the wall, like sitting in an invisible chair. Bear crawl: hands and feet on the floor, knees off. Push-ups can be against the wall or on knees. 4. **Run the circuit twice** (Together) Forty seconds of work, twenty seconds to walk to the next sign. Six stations take six minutes. Rest one minute, then go around again. Count down the last five seconds out loud. That's about thirteen minutes. 5. **Cool down together** (Dad leads) Walk slow laps of the room until everyone's breathing settles, then a few easy stretches: reach for the ceiling, touch your toes, hug your knees. Drink some water. About three minutes. 6. **Let a kid pick next time** (Kid) Ask, “Which station was the hardest? Which should we swap out?” Let them pick one new move for next time, like hopping on one foot or crab walks. Write it on the back of a sign. ## If it stalls - If a kid gets silly and stops trying, make them the timer and the countdown caller for a round. They'll want back in. - If the little ones can't hold a wall sit, let them count out loud while they try. Ten seconds is a win. - If you can't finish a station, slow down rather than stop. The kids are watching how you handle it. - If twenty minutes won't fit, do one round. A shorter workout still counts, and the weekly total adds up. ## Variations - **Ages 4–6:** Twenty seconds per station instead of forty, and animal names for everything: frog jumps for squats, bear crawls, a horse gallop for high knees. One round may be plenty. - **Ages 10–14:** Let them design the circuit and run the timer. Add a challenge: count reps in round one and try to beat it in round two. - **Mixed ages:** Same stations, different versions: wall push-ups for the youngest, knee push-ups in the middle, full push-ups for you and the oldest. - **Clear:** Take it to the yard or a patch of grass. Use a fence or tree trunk for wall sits, and add a sprint to the fence and back as a seventh station. - **Hot:** Stay inside, or go out early or late when it's cooler. Water breaks between rounds. ## Sources - **Adults: 150 minutes and muscle work.** CDC says adults need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week and at least 2 days of muscle-strengthening activity that works all major muscle groups, says activity can be broken into smaller chunks of time, and that any amount of moderate or vigorous activity brings some health benefits. (checked 2026-10-15) - **Push-ups count.** CDC lists exercises that use your body weight for resistance, such as push-ups or sit-ups, as muscle-strengthening activity, and says at moderate intensity you can talk but not sing. (checked 2026-10-15) - **Kids' activity.** CDC says children 3 to 5 should be active throughout the day, and children 6 to 17 need at least 60 minutes every day, including muscle-strengthening activity like climbing or push-ups and bone-strengthening activity like jumping or running, at least 3 days a week. (checked 2026-10-15) - **Getting started safely.** CDC advises starting slowly and working up to more time or more challenging activities, says people with chronic conditions may want to talk to their health care provider about the right types and amounts, and suggests making activity a family event as children get older. (checked 2026-10-15)