When did you last move your body?

Maybe it was a dance in the kitchen, a stretch after a long day, or chasing your child around the yard until you both collapsed laughing. So often, as parents, “exercise” becomes something we schedule, track, or guilt ourselves for not doing enough of. But to our children, movement looks a lot more like play. They see us moving-or not moving-and learn what it means to live in a body that’s alive, capable, and cared for.

It’s easy to forget that kids absorb how we feel about movement even more than how often we do it. When we talk about exercise as punishment (“I have to work off that dessert”) or obligation (“I should go to the gym”), they hear that being active is something to endure, not something to enjoy. But when they see us finding simple, satisfying ways to move, they learn that activity is a natural, enjoyable part of life, not a chore. We can show them that going for a walk with a friend, gardening, cleaning the house with your favorite music, yoga in the living room, carrying their tired bodies after the park, cycling to the grocery store, all of these are just ways of keeping our bodies moving.

Children whose parents are active are far more likely to be active themselves as kids, and the effect can last into adulthood. Modeling doesn’t have to mean becoming an athlete or following a strict routine. It means showing that our bodies are worth caring for, and that movement is one of the ways we stay connected-to ourselves, to each other, and to joy.

So maybe the question isn’t ‘How do I make my kids more active?’ but ‘What story am I telling about movement in our family?’ and ‘Am I setting the right example for them?’

Here are a few ways to model a healthy, joyful relationship with being active:

• Shift from ‘exercise’ to ‘movement.’

  Let activity fit naturally into your day: walking to the store, dancing in the kitchen, stretching before bed. Show that small, consistent movement counts.

• Invite, don’t instruct.

  Instead of “You need to go outside,” try “I’m going to kick the soccer ball-want to join me?” Shared movement feels like connection, not a task

• Name how movement makes you feel.

  Kids learn from the emotional cues we give. Try saying, “That walk helped me clear my head,” or “My body feels calmer after stretching.”

• Celebrate the body you have.

  Talk kindly about your own body. Show gratitude for what it can do, not frustration for what it can’t. That’s the foundation of a healthy body image for both you and your child.

Movement doesn’t have to be perfect, planned, or productive to be powerful. It just has to be real-and shared. When our kids see us moving through life with energy, self-compassion, and joy, they learn that caring for their bodies isn’t about striving to look a certain way. It’s about belonging-to themselves, and to the world that moves with them.

P.S. This weekend, for us, exercise meant racing to the park cafe and yelling ‘cake’ at the top of our lungs. That still counts.