Fast forward to today, and Krissy is just as involved in sports and physical activity as ever. Except now, she shares her love of movement with her husband, Denton, and young daughter, Clara. A passion that leads them to regularly get active together as a family.

“Everything about our background relates to physical activity and sports, for both my husband and I,” Krissy said. “We actually met playing in a rec basketball league in Toronto. It’s our main point of connection, we do everything together relating to sport. And now the same goes for daughter, as well.”

That connection is constantly reinforced by Krissy’s family’s ability to prioritize getting active together, by making family time, active time.

“It’s a built-in part of our day. We do something active as a family every single day and we encourage our daughter, Clara, to do the same,” said Krissy. “It’s part of the culture of our family, we are constantly moving and active. On the weekends we go for bike rides, we shoot hoops, go jogging, we always schedule and plan the time.”

As highlighted in the 2020 ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth, planning the time to be active as a family can go a long way to ensuring both you and your family hit the recommended amount of active minutes – kids (ages five to 17) need 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity each day and adults require 150 minutes every week.

Meeting, or exceeding, those guidelines is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle – a fact that Krissy knows all too well.

“When we’re active, we’re 100 per cent in a better mood, more productive, kinder to one another."

“Feeling balanced, sleeping well, being able to handle stress, that what it’s all about,” Krissy said. “Then there are also those amazing life skills you can learn through sport: working with other people, being able to manage time, supporting teammates. It translates into so many important aspects of everyday life.”

“For me, it’s not about appearance or losing weight or looking good, it’s about feeling good and confident and being ready to navigate the world in a healthy way.”

Right now, navigating the world looks a bit different than it usually does. Getting active, playing sports and even just moving around can be challenging. But on the other hand, families have more opportunities and the time to come together and be active like never before.,

“These days, I’m doing a kids’ workout a few days a week, it’s a virtual workout and we have kids joining in from across the country,” said Krissy. “I set them up because I was trying to help my daughter and her group of friends stay active during the pandemic, and also since I was hearing from so many parents how hard it’s been to keep their kids moving.”

“So, I put some workouts together and Clara loves doing it since her friends are doing it, and we’ve made it a bit social and really fun for the kids to join in and get active. I make all the activities [workouts] align with sport movements so the kids can follow along and really get into it.”

For Krissy and her family, physical activity isn’t a chore or a task, it’s a fun, affordable way to come together. Krissy is leading by example when it comes to being an active parent, and her husband and daughter are reaping the benefits – both physical and mental.

“It’s the big regulator in our house [physical activity],” Krissy explained. “When we’re active, we’re 100 per cent in a better mood, more productive, kinder to one another. We really bond through sports and activity and getting outside as a family just feels so good. We definitely see the benefits, that’s for sure.”

Take the #ActiveFamilyPledge
Research shows families who get active are more likely to have kids who are also active.

That’s why ParticipACTION is encouraging Canadians to take the #ActiveFamilyPledge, a social media challenge that empowers parents and caregivers to make quality time “active time”.

For more active family tips, check out our Family Better webpage.  

Posted wtih permission from ParticipACTION. Read more of their blogs here.