Thanksgiving Exercise Opportunity: Home Basketball System

With Thanksgiving less than two weeks away, we want to remind all the families out there that this holiday is the perfect time to use the home basketball system. What many people don’t realize is that Thanksgiving is a great opportunity not just for eating and catching up with family, but for exercising, too. After all, the average American consumes 3,000 calories on dinner alone, never mind appetizers and dessert!

To make this Thanksgiving a bit healthier for your family and guests, we recommend making time for some exercise, either pre- or post-dinner. With a home basketball system, you can get the whole group moving. Try a shootout game of “H-O-R-S-E” or “Around the World,” as these games allow for an unlimited number of players. Another option is a game of two-on-two. To keep things moving, set a winning point value (for example, 5 points) and have the winners take on the next pair. If your basketball system has two in-ground hoops, you can conduct these games at each side of the court, and then move to full-court for the championship round. Or, if you have just a single wall-mounted hoop, consider lowering the winning point value so everyone gets a turn to play. To encourage folks to stay outside and enjoy the game, serve hot cocoa.

Other exercise ideas include a touch football game or a walk around the neighborhood. If this year’s Thanksgiving brings bad weather, you can always try an indoor alternative. Consider a game of charades, or bring out the Wii for some interactive sports gaming. Last but not least, we love the idea of turning up the Christmas music and dancing to some tunes as you kick off the holiday season.

Whether you utilize the home basketball system for a bit of fun family competition, or you go with one of the other exercise options, we hope a healthy dose of physical activity becomes one of your Thanksgiving traditions. We wish you and yours a wonderful holiday.