Family Health And Fitness Blog Biography
Source Google.com.pk
Fit parents raise fit kids. In fact, children who grow up in families where both parents are physically active are nearly three times more likely to be active than kids whose parents are not active. The reality is that it can be a struggle for busy parents to fit enough activity into a daily routine.
Here are a few ideas for you to seamlessly integrate physical activity into your daily routine. You’ll soon find that the benefits expand beyond inspiring kids with fitness—it also includes increased mental, physical and social health.
Wear a pedometer and set “steps” goals. With a goal in sight, the mere act of putting on a pedometer and tracking your steps will help motivate you to add steps into your day. The extra steps gained from taking the stairs instead of the elevator and spending 10 minutes during lunchtime to take a walk around the block add up. And if you’re on toddler-duty, you’ll quickly see that taking care of the kids all day keeps you active, too.
Make sure your girls’ or guys’ “nights out” include fitness. Whether that’s checking out a new group fitness class, arranging a pick-up game of basketball or walking together to a restaurant, when it’s your turn to decide what to do, pick something active.
Be active with the kids. When is the last time you joined your kids for a game of tag or Simon says? Or, for the older kids, how about a family bike ride, a game of H-O-R-S-E or going for a run together? Pick something that the kids (and you) love to do, and go for it!
Take time for you. Sometimes leaving the kids with a babysitter to get in an hour workout can be life-changing. Or, consider joining a gym that offers adults and kids programming so you can be sure your kids will have fun being active at the same time you do. Take the time to take care of yourself and you’ll do an even better job taking care of the kids.
Consider DVDs and home exercise equipment. You never know when you’ll have a few minutes to squeeze in a quick workout. Make sure the routine and equipment you need are readily available so when the opportunity arises, you can get in a few minutes.
Partake in a new adventure with your spouse. Optimize your success in your reinvigorated activity program by getting your spouse or partner to join in. It could be anything from learning a new sport or how to surf, to finishing a half marathon or triathlon, to hiking the Grand Canyon. Set a goal and hold each other accountable for achieving it.
Schedule activity into your day. You will be more likely to stick with your physical-activity program if you put it on your calendar, just as you would if a child had soccer practice or a doctor’s appointment. Make your time for exercise a standing appointment that is only canceled on rare occasions.
Make it a family affair. Some households have weekly “family days” to help strengthen the family bond. Each week, set aside time for “family days” (even if it’s more like “family two-hours”) and do something fun and active together like going to the zoo.
One of the most important gifts you can pass on to your children is a healthy lifestyle. You’ve probably heard that children learn more by observing their parents than listening to them. My experience leads me to believe this is true, and families who know how to turn movement into fun raise kids who enjoy exercise. What adults call “workouts,” kids call play. Follow these easy tips to build a culture of fitness-play in your family.
Designate specific “dark” times for TV and computer. When you take away these options, kids will find other ways to entertain themselves. And, when they know it’s only for a specific period of time and not forever, they’ll be more willing to comply. With a little direction from you, they can use this time to be active. The important thing is that you have to take your own advice. Whether you are legitimately getting work done on the computer (NOT on Facebook!) or watching the news, your kids won’t be very excited about your suggestions if the rules don’t apply to you. If you ALL agree to leave the electronics behind, your kids will relish the time they have with you and begin to associate exercise with togetherness.
Turn household chores into fun family activities. For example, take the whole family out to wash the car. In between soaking the sponge in the bucket, add a lap around the car and instigate a game of tag. When you need to water the lawn, have a good old-fashioned run through the sprinklers. Time to rake the leaves? Get a big pile going and have a contest to see who can make the biggest jump to spread the leaves out. Yes, you will need to rake and re-create the pile in-between. No problem. That just adds in more activity. Bring a stopwatch and see who can rake the leaves the fastest.
Get a pet (or borrow one.) Years ago, ACE ran a public service announcement that that had a picture of a dog holding a leash and it said, “Think of him has an exercise machine with hair.” A dog is a live-in playmate that never gets tired of walking or chasing the ball or wrestling on the grass. If you are not in a situation where you can own a dog, there is probably someone on your block who would welcome an extra playmate for his or her pet.
Keep music playing in your home and in your car. The best thing about this suggestion is that YOU get to choose the music. You can certainly ask for “requests” from your kids, which helps involve them. Music encourages movement, which can turn into fun and play. Try a family dance contest where family members vote on the best moves. Or have a dance party from a certain era like the ‘80s. Dig out your legwarmers and horrify your teenagers as you demonstrate the Electric Slide. Once they realize none of their friends are in the room, they might just join in.
Learn a new sport together. While it can be fun for you to hand down your sports acumen, it might be more fun for your kids to learn something new with you. That way you are all starting at the same point and no one is considered “better” than anyone else. Martial arts, dance and ladder golf could be a good place to start.
Always have toys with you. In the back of my car, we always keep a football, tennis ball and Frisbee. No matter where we are, if we find ourselves with a few extra minutes, we pull a ball out and play catch. See how many times you can catch the ball without dropping it or add some additional moves between each throw. For example, throw the ball and then turn in a circle before your partner throws the ball back. This is especially helpful when you are waiting in line. You will look at all those poor kids, tugging on their mothers and asking, “How much longer?” with great sympathy as you toss your football to your smiling son or quietly bounce a tennis ball back and forth with your preschooler.
Sneak in exercise everywhere. We have all heard the example of parking farther out in the parking lot to get some extra activity. If you have your family with you, park way out in the lot and turn the walk to the store into some fun. Play a game of follow the leader or skip your way along. If you pick your children up from school, park a few blocks away, walk to meet them, and then head back to the car together. Add in some fun with marching songs (Left, left, left, right, left…) or run in a “daisy chain” where the person in the back runs to the front every 10 steps.
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