Fitness as a Family: Q&A with the Kellogg Family

What would it be like to travel the country in an RV with 14 people? For the Kellogg family, this adventure became daily life when the group packed up and hit the road three years ago - traveling more than 60,000 miles along the way. From homeschooling to staying active, every day is a little different. The family documents each stop along the way on their blog and YouTube channel.

How does this family stay healthy and active while on the road? We caught up with the Kelloggs to hear more:

Tell us a little about you and your family!

"We are a full-time traveling family of 14, self-described as a family of adrenaline junkies. In 2012, we sold everything and we now live in a Newmar Dutch Star 4312, traveling across the entire continent - completely liberated and totally free! It's been over three years, and we've logged over 60,000 miles, visited more than 40 states and all of Eastern Canada! What began as a "fun vacation" has transformed into a way of life. Since we started traveling, we can honestly say we've seen and done more than ever before. At the same time, our children's education has been transformed, and we've become closer than we could have ever dreamed."

Why is living a healthy lifestyle important to your family?

"Living a healthy lifestyle is extremely important to us. We want to be able to maintain ultimate health so that we can keep up with our kids as the years pass - we want to be around for our children and grandchildren. We obviously also want to set our children off on a road to a healthy lifestyle as well so that they may continue to charge life with fervor. We have always been extremely active and outdoor-oriented. We live a very active lifestyle and engage in a wide array of extreme sports from whitewater kayaking and snowboarding, to climbing and mountain biking."

How do you all incorporate health and fitness into daily life?

"Health and fitness go hand in hand. We feel blessed that we have been able to find a system that works for us - keeping our family out of the doctor's office and out on the trails and rivers. Eating healthy is a huge component. We incorporate raw foods into our diet on a daily basis and it is a majority of our diet. In addition, high cardio activities make up the bulk of our “workouts." Whitewater kayaking, backcountry snowboarding, climbing, biking, hiking, ice hockey and even high stakes games of tag at a park… you name it, we are out there doing it, having fun with our kids and staying in shape. We also utilize BowFlex^® SelectTech^® dumbbells to increase strength and stamina! It's essential to keep our bodies at their highest level of performance given the lifestyle we live. Thankfully, the dumbbells make it easy to travel and maintain a free-weight workout station in our RV."

How do you encourage the kids to make healthy choices?

"Being active and healthy is a lifestyle choice - and one the kids have been engaged in from birth. We have just naturally introduced them to the things we love and even discovered new passions as they grow. We have even taken our youngest on some wild and crazy expeditions - they absolutely love it. Being active is fun and exhilarating. At the same time, being active with your kids keeps you young and relevant in their lives! As for healthy choices in life, again, it's assimilation. We always make sure to have healthy snacks, and it's common to hear our Vitamix Blender running. Of course, we sometimes splurge. Every Sunday we eat donuts after mass, we have ice cream sundae parties - we keep it real!"

When living life on the road, how do you find time for fitness?

"Living on the road is the facilitator of our active lifestyle, rather than a struggle. It enables us to climb new mountains and run different rivers. It keeps life fresh and introduces the kids to people, cultures and history that they never would have seen otherwise. It's a blessing to pull our dumbbells out on the beach one week, on the shore of the river the next week, and at the base of a cliff the week after that."

What's one challenge you've encountered?

"Seriously, the biggest challenge is exhaustion. Kids don't get exhausted - parents do. The kids can literally paddle laps in the river, climb for three hours, mountain bike for a couple more and then get home and pumped-up for a sick weight session. The biggest challenge for us isn't finding time to get out there, it's finding time to chill and relax!"

What advice do you have to other families who want to make fitness a priority?

"Getting your kids involved really helps as well. In fact, this may be the biggest piece of advice we can offer. If you and your children live a sedentary lifestyle, it can do more damage to their health than you know. You have to be the change. Hit the pool or the park, grab your bikes, play tag, climb a tree or lift weights. The glory of being a parent is that you get to relive your childhood. Kids are naturally active beings, cue off them. Most importantly, have fun."