By Irene Lazarus, MD, MPH
Board-Certified Preventive Medicine Physician | Physician Contributor, Nashville Fit Magazine
This month, we’re not just celebrating culture—we’re celebrating health as culture.
As a physician in Preventive and Lifestyle Medicine, I know firsthand that health is not just about what we eat or how much we move. It’s about how we live together. And family fitness—moving together across generations—can transform our homes, our habits, and our futures.
The Rodriguez family—parents Ana and Anthony, with their kids Sofia (10) and Mathew (7)—wanted to spend more time together and get healthier. Both parents worked long hours, and the kids often spent evenings on screens.
One Saturday, instead of a typical movie night, Ana suggested they go to the park with a portable speaker and make it a “family fitness party.” Luis played music and trending beats, and soon everyone was dancing, laughing, and even inventing their own routines. Afterward, they walked a lap around the park trail before sitting down for a picnic of fruit, grilled chicken, and homemade lemonade.
The result? Not only did everyone get exercise, but they also:
Strengthened family bonds (pillar: social connection).
Reduced stress from a long workweek (pillar: stress management).
Improved eating habits by replacing fast food with healthier options (pillar: healthful eating).
The kids fell asleep faster that night (pillar: restorative sleep).
Now, the Rodriguez family have made “Saturday park day” part of their routine, proving that small, fun changes can ripple through every aspect of family health.
“We don’t even call it exercise anymore—it’s just our family time,” Ana said.
A 2023 systematic review published in Family Process (view article here) revealed that family-based physical activity (PA) programs don’t just build strength—they improve how families function.
Here’s what stood out:
Stronger Bonds: Families reported greater closeness and emotional support.
Organized Routines: Shared activity helped households run more smoothly.
Kids Lead the Way: Programs targeting ages 5–12 showed the strongest results.
Parents Matter: Children were more active when caregivers joined in.
Cultural Fun Works: Families stuck with programs that included music, food, and traditions.
“Fitness isn’t just about exercise—it’s family medicine.”
Family movement is a superpower because it taps into nearly every pillar of Lifestyle Medicine, the evidence-based framework for preventing and even reversing chronic disease:
Physical Activity – Stronger bodies, healthier hearts.
Healthful Eating – Active families make better food choices together.
Stress Management – Movement relieves tension and builds resilience.
Restorative Sleep – Active kids and adults sleep deeper.
Social Connection – Movement strengthens emotional bonds.
Avoiding Risky Substances – Strong families create healthier environments.
In community-health culture, we’ve always known this: dance is medicine, food is connection, and family is health.
Take a post-dinner walk together, even just 15 minutes.
Turn on your favorite Upbeat playlist and dance in the living room.
Make Saturday morning or Sunday afternoons a park day—walk, play soccer, or fly kites.
The Rodriguez family may have been a simple example—but its vision is real. Events like these remind us that health can be joyful, cultural, and community-driven. And at Minority Wellness, that’s exactly our mission:
✨ Mission: To improve community health through education, prevention, and access to care.
🌍 Vision: To bridge gaps in health access and knowledge by empowering families with the tools, resources, and cultural connection they need to thrive.
We do this through health workshops, chronic disease prevention team, and raising funds to help families cover unexpected medical costs.
“Health isn’t just built in clinics—it’s built in kitchens, parks, and neighborhoods.”
We are now recruiting individuals with Prediabetes for our January 2026 Group Coaching Cohort. This program will provide culturally tailored, evidence-based guidance to help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.
If you’re interested—or simply want early access to wellness content, cultural health events, and practical tips—join the Minority Wellness Newsletter:
Your next step starts now—will your family take it?
Dr. Irene Lazarus combines clinical expertise with public health leadership, building community-driven solutions for healthier populations. [Discover more ➝]
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