Why Fitness Starts At Home

This week, we’re featuring one of our OG Train Families – the Thwaites Family! They’re a reminder of why fitness isn’t just an individual journey, but a family legacy. Healthy habits, confidence, and resilience are values that get modeled, shared, and strengthened together. And when families train side by side, something special happens: kids grow up seeing movement as normal, parents feel supported, and everyone gets to share wins big and small.

The Thwaites crew – Dick, Jes, Tim, Lucy, and Henry – embody exactly what it means to grow strong as a family.

Research shows that children who grow up with active parents are more than twice as likely to stay active into adulthood. Regular family fitness helps build:

• Confidence & resilience: Kids who exercise develop better self-esteem and learn to push through challenges.
• Healthier lifelong habits: Starting fitness young sets the foundation for stronger bones, healthier hearts, and better emotional regulation.
• Stronger family connections: Moving together promotes communication, teamwork, and shared identity.
• A positive relationship with exercise: When children see movement as fun – not a chore -they’re more likely to stick with it long-term.

For parents, working out alongside their children not only boosts their own health but also reinforces the message that fitness is part of family culture – not an obligation, but a shared lifestyle.

What Does Fitness Mean To The Thwaites Family?

Dick: ““Fitness” seems to me to be a rather large subject that involves physical and mental health as well as social involvement in day-to-day interests and activities. I have experienced a “rough and tumble” life, with lots of bone breaks, surgeries and doctor visits, and I can say with absolute conviction that one’s “fitness” has everything in the world to do with how fast and how well recovery happens. Being fit means being able to “get up and get going.” (Of course “get up” means different things to different people – I’ve known people who use a wheelchair who “get up” and are “gone” before others have brushed the “sleepy” out of their eyes!) There are indeed things that we will not recover from ( – life- ), and being “fit” enables one to use every minute available to us to its maximum benefit. That didn’t mean as much to me when I was a young buck, but at my age it means A LOT. Fitness enhances every aspect of living! What I love about Train is the wholistic approach to healthy living I find there. The coaches are SUPERB! I feel like their approach is to take “what we have got” – and help us make the most off it. I belong to the “Survivors” group/class at Train and I think it is safe to say that we – each one – have been through a lot. We have learned the value of the gift of Life, and every one of us go to Train regularly to make the most of that gift! But Train is not just a gym, weighty gadgets, machines and coaches, it is also a wonderful clientele of gym-mates! I rarely find myself in a happier, more focused group of people! I love my “buds” at Train and gain inspiration from them every time I go or think about them! I do love Train!!”

Jes: “To me, fitness equals longevity and quality of life. I want to be able to do fun stuff with my family for a super long time. I want to move my body on vacation when I’m older and not worry about hurting myself or being sore because I’m not used to activity. As for what I love about Train? The lifelong friends I’ve made, the coaches, the community feeling in general. I look forward to going to the gym most days – it’s not a chore I dread… unless it’s a Fran day! Not a lot of people can say that about their gym experience, and that makes me proud of myself and proud of the people who built this community from the ground up!

Tim: “Fitness means extending my enjoyable life. I don’t want to live to 85 and not go on easy hikes or not be able to pick up my grandkids. We can all live to a ripe old age, but I want to do that and still enjoy life. What I love most about Train is the positivity and energy I get from it. Everyone is awesome, everyone brings good energy, and everyone seems to care about one another.”

Lucy: “The gym is really hard, but I like feeling fast and strong.”

Henry: “I like getting strong for skiing and sports. It’s cool when I figure out I can do something that used to be really hard.

Families like the Thwaites show us what it looks like when health becomes a shared value -not something squeezed into schedules, but something embraced as part of who you are. Kids grow up stronger, more confident, and more capable. Parents stay active, energetic, and connected. And together, they build memories rooted in movement, growth, and quality time.

At Train Denver, we’re not just building athletes; we’re building families who move through life – stronger, healthier, and more connected – together.