In this PassionFit‑sponsored YouTube segment, host Ashley interviews health and fitness expert Reena Vokoun about June’s Family Health and Fitness Month. Reena cites CDC and ACE data showing only 24 % of children (6‑17) meet the recommended 60 minutes of daily activity and only 23 % of adults meet the guideline of 150 minutes of moderate cardio or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week. She argues that involving the whole family in movement can boost these numbers and outlines three core benefits: (1) strengthening family bonds and creating lasting positive memories, (2) serving as role models for children who observe parental habits, and (3) promoting mental‑health resilience through shared stress‑relief activities. Reena suggests a menu of low‑barrier family activities—nature hikes, neighborhood walks, backyard yoga, dance parties, bike rides, and the increasingly popular sport of pickleball—emphasizing that formal sports are optional. The conversation then shifts to Reena’s book, The Wellness Empowered Woman, which teaches women (especially mothers) to integrate wellness into busy lives and to extend that empowerment to families and communities; a sequel is forthcoming. Finally, Reena directs listeners to passionfit.com for her blog, social media, and a family‑fitness workout series on the PassionFit YouTube channel featuring her husband and sons.
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When it comes to setting fitness goals, sure, setting individual goals is great, but our health and fitness expert Reena Vokoun says getting the whole family involved is even better. This segment is sponsored by PassionFit. Reena, it is June, the kids are out of school, what a great time to focus on family fitness.
Absolutely, so June is Family Health and Fitness Month. June 8th actually is the day that we celebrate, and it is a really great time to focus on how you can incorporate your family into your health and fitness regimen. According to the American Council on Exercise and the Centers for Disease Control, only 24% of kids ages 6 to 17 are getting the recommended guidelines for physical activity, which is 60 minutes a day, and only 23% of adults are getting the recommended guidelines for cardiovascular activity and strength training, which you want to do for about 150 minutes a week or 75 minutes a week if it's less vigorous. So being able to incorporate your family can go a long way in helping us get those numbers up so everyone can get healthier this summer.
And the So the benefits of working out and being active together are endless, but we're gonna focus on the 3 big ones today. So what would you say is really at the top of that list?
Yeah, I'd like to say families who work out together stay together, right? It's fun to get together and do something that's healthy and that's productive. You're creating shared experiences, and you can encourage each other when you're feeling challenges in an activity or sport, or you can, you know, cheer each other on with victories. So being able to create that bond and that connection can really last a lifetime. You're creating positive memories.
And you know, our kids Our kids are watching us all the time. Even when we don't think they're paying attention, they are picking up on everything we're doing and saying, so it's important to be a good example.
Absolutely. We want to serve as positive role models for our kids, and we can show even with busy family lives, with busy work schedules, if we're prioritizing our workouts and our movement every day, that will help them to do it even as children and as adults as they grow older. Um, and it's just really important to show them that physical activity is good for our physical health as well as our mental health. We'll be showing them how to deal with stress in a healthy way so that they can again take these behaviors with them into their adult life. And we can be great role models by simply cheering our kids on when they play sports. I know, Ashley, you and I have kids that all play sports, and to be there on the sidelines encouraging them shows them that we support their participation in sports and fitness activities.
So of course there are sports that we could like train for together, whether it's kicking around a soccer ball together or throwing the football, but what else can we really do as families that has this lasting impact?
Exactly. It doesn't have to anything formal, just being able to go out in nature, right? It's June, the weather's beautiful. Being able to go out for hikes or family walks around the neighborhood, maybe doing some yoga outside in your backyard, joining maybe a recreational center that families can participate in. Even doing dance parties at home could be a really fun, memorable experience. Pickleball is becoming very popular for all age groups as well. So it could be organized sports, but it could also be leisurely activities. Bike rides is another great one this time of year.
I know, and I really do love that idea of a bike ride or a hike together because then it gets them talking too, and so you can find out what's going on in their lives. So it's a great way to spend quality time together while you're moving. Your book is really good about working things like this into your daily life. You make everything seem really attainable. Tell us about your book. We haven't talked about it on the show in a long time.
I know, yeah. So my book, The Wellness Empowered Woman, it came out about 2 years ago, and it does focus on how you can be empowered through wellness, how you can incorporate your family into your, you know, health and wellness wellness activities and also how you can fit it into a busy schedule. So I'm a big believer in if you can focus on the whole person. Oftentimes I start with— I work with women a lot, so if I can start with the woman as a mom, as a wife, as a community member, a significant other, and then she can then take that and help others in her community and make a huge difference as well. I'm actually working on the follow-up book, which we'll talk, I'm sure, about later, but there is a book number 2 coming soon, and we'll talk more about all of that in that book as well.
I know, I'm so excited to get my hands on a copy of that. Thank you so much for your time today and always, and I know people can get more tips from you on your website. Remind everybody at home where to find you.
Thank you, Ashley. So you can go to passionfit.com, that's where you can connect to my blog, my YouTube channel, all of my social media channels, and I do actually have a family fitness YouTube video workout series on the PassionFit YouTube channel. My husband's in it and both of my sons are in it, so feel free to check it out.
