5 good reasons to start the year with sports for all the family
16/1/2026
Translation: Natalie McKay
Want to do more sport? If you stick to this classic New Year’s resolution, it’ll be good for your whole family. Because your exercise habits rub off – and your children will benefit on all levels.
If there’s one thing I don’t envy about my children, it’s their jam-packed school days. Having to sit still, even though the urge to move is overwhelming – I often found that agonising myself. These days, I’m happy I can decide for myself when I want to exercise. And pleased that my children also enjoy being active. As a parent, you deserve a little praise for this, because it benefits your children in many areas of their life. Here are five motivational tips for an active 2026.
1. Your lifestyle rubs off
At the beginning of January, the Federal Office of Sport (FOSPO) published new findings (linked page in German) based on the longitudinal study SOPHYA, which examines the physical activity of the participating children and their families over a period of five years. This demonstrates that active parents have active children, an effect lasting well beyond childhood.
So it’s worth getting involved in sport, not just for your own benefit. If parents follow the Swiss physical activity recommendations (linked page in German), their children will be on average more active than others their age even five years later. A good reason to get off the sofa more often, and take a few casual fitness breaks at home too. Pull up bars for dangling from, hanging off and hauling up are currently a big hit with us. Perfect for working off energy during short breaks from our work.
2. Exercise strengthens more than just the muscles
Sport doesn’t just lead to better physical fitness. «Exercise improves social skills in schoolchildren» is the title of a current report (linked page in German) by the Department of Sport, Physical Activity and Health at the University of Basel. Researchers looked into how sport affects the social cognition of 100 children between the ages of nine and 13 in the short term. If the children were active on their own for 20 minutes, they were then better at assigning emotions shown in images. After cooperative movement tasks, however, this effect wasn’t (yet) evident.
The researchers suspect that it takes more than a short session together to keep the mind «free» for the emotions of others. Lead author Melanie Berger sees a lot of potential, and wants to investigate the effects over a longer period: «If we can scientifically prove that sport promotes social-cognitive skills, exercise regimes could help children to make friends, behave prosocially and perform better academically.»
Source: Shutterstock/pics five
3. Movement is the best mood booster
Even if this effect can’t be proved, there’s still the undisputed positive impact on your own psyche. Because sport is the most effective and healthiest way to lift your mood. I’m currently reading The Compass for the Soul by Bas Kast, a book that’s far less esoteric than its title suggests. Kast made a name for himself as a science journalist with The Diet Compass, and in this follow-up book he examines what else is good for us according to the latest scientific findings.
People who move a lot can expect to have fewer psychological problems, is the familiar basic insight that Kast breaks down in more detail based on research results from the University of Oxford and Yale University.
From a psychological point of view – and this is where it gets interesting – the best results are achieved by exercising three to five times a week for around three quarters of an hour.
This is achievable, and is more fun together: team sport beats all other activities when it comes to a balanced state of mind, says Kast. Ultimately, it’s stimulating for the mind to be challenged by new movement patterns and also to act as part of a group.
But not everything works in a group. Many children’s worst nightmare is solitary homework sessions in the afternoon, when they’ve no concentration left, and don’t want to sit still. In moments like these, we sometimes try a round of the Pomodoro technique with power breaks. For example, a few minutes of maths alternated with a short movement activity. It feels good, and gets my kids through the long afternoon.
I’ve also written two reminders to move in my calendar, so I don’t spend hours hunched over in front of my screen. The pull up bars are calling.
4. Resilience as a superpower
Movement also means trying things out, encountering resistance and reaching your limits. And movement needs freedom, which children have far too little of today, because parents mean too well, and everyday life is planned out with ever-increasing rigidity. Many believe this type of overprotection is a major problem, including developmental psychologist Peter Gray, as he described in an interview in Swiss newspaper «Blick» (linked page in German), entitled «Children must learn to fail».
Children must be able to develop resilience. Being allowed to climb a tree and work out for themselves how to get down again is more beneficial to children than being pulled back by their trouser leg on the second rung of playground equipment. Getting into difficulties and resolving them yourself is part of the process. Equally, it’s a process for parents to allow this to happen. Because it’s about letting go.
So it’s worth it nevertheless, as this inner strength is fundamentally important. And resilience, the current buzzword, is basically a return to what used to be normal. Go out, run about wild and come home again. Development takes time and diversity. This is how strong personalities grow up, who often have better prospects than those who’ve been drilled to perform from an early age.
This analysis published in Science shows that in science, culture and sport, people who make gradual progress usually end up at a higher level. From Nobel Prize winners to Olympic champions, it’s usually true that these top performers tended to try out a lot of different things in their youth, and weren’t already excelling in what would go on to be their later discipline at that time.
So don’t worry, create opportunities and keep an eye on how your little ones are growing and changing. Schools, clubs and children don’t need over-critical parents, they need freedom and trust – and occasionally someone to lend a hand.
5. The clubs can’t do it alone
The best way to be active together is to get involved in a club yourself. What’s cool is that the number of volunteers has actually increased (linked page in German) in recent years. It’s a shame that ten years ago we had almost a thousand more sports clubs, and it can be quite difficult to get your child into the sport of their choice.
Waiting lists and try-outs risk leaving some people disappointed. And groups, especially ones that are too large, are pushing coaches to their very limits. Space is limited in many places, but there’s always a job for anyone who wants to help out. Anyone who tries to play a meaningful part in this deserves a big thank-you. Only then can as many children as possible enjoy the benefits of organised sport. And if club sport is seen as a family activity rather than a service, there’s a good chance that everyone will stay active for life.
Header image: Shutterstock/Drazen Zigic
Michael Restin
Senior Editor
Michael.Restin@digitecgalaxus.chSimple writer and dad of two who likes to be on the move, wading through everyday family life. Juggling several balls, I'll occasionally drop one. It could be a ball, or a remark. Or both.
Background information
Interesting facts about products, behind-the-scenes looks at manufacturers and deep-dives on interesting people.
Show allThese articles might also interest you
Background information
When your child loses the game – and their temper along with it
by Martin Rupf
Background information
Baby name consultant: «People often ask me for gender-neutral names»
by Michael Restin
Background information
How your intuition can guide you towards better decisions
by Mareike Steger
