Keeping Your Kids Fit for Life

Have you ever heard a kid say that they were bored? In case you hadn't noticed, kids have shorter attention spans, and it takes constant stimulation to keep them motivated (which is why kids can become such TV and video game addicts). And, to keep them fit for life, it will take just that if you don’t want boredom to set in.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This nation is facing an epidemic. Obesity has not only taken over the lives of adults but children as well. Technology in part has helped us to become a society that sits rather than moves. This is good for the electronics industry but bad for a long healthy life.

And, if adults aren’t moving about, how are kids going to be expected to? They follow the example set for them. Let’s break the cycle of a sedentary lifestyle and teach our kids how to be fit for life.

Here are some ways that you can get your kids up off the couch and moving each and every day.

* Do something you love – For just about anyone this is the biggest boost to motivation. If you try an activity and it doesn’t work for you, then don’t be afraid to try something else. Kids will be quick to tell you that they don’t like something and probably won’t do it again. Ask them what activities they like to do and  choose one each day to participate in. When you like what you do, it feels natural to do it all the time.

* Don’t think of physical activity as exercise – Instead of saying "Let’s go exercise," say "Let’s go have fun." Exercise can sound like work. Make it fun and kids will forget to be bored and just enjoy themselves. It could be as simple as shooting hoops in the driveway after dinner or riding bikes in the park after school.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

* Exercise WITH your kids – It’s easy to sit back and tell your kids what to do, but what kind of example would that be? Get going with them. Ride bikes together; hike in the woods; play kickball in the backyard. Before you know it, you’ll feel like a kid again. Not only is your child staying motivated but you are as well!

* Invite their friends along – Exercise is great when you have a partner. If you are getting up a pick-up game of basketball, invite your kids’ friends to participate. Activities like this are more fun when you have lots of people. Form a neighborhood team or get involved with a church team. This promotes competitiveness and keeps kids motivated to get moving.

* Set goals – If your child is a little bit heavier than others their age, the goal could be to slim down a bit. Goals give us something to work towards, a motivation for staying fit. Kids can often be motivated by the same types of things as adults.

Want to keep your kid fit and break the epidemic of obesity? Use these ideas to make it happen - and give them a healthier start to life.

Fitness Programs for Special Groups

A new trend in fitness is the targeting of fitness programs for different groups of people. Rather than a “one size fits all” approach that simply looks to provide general fitness benefits without taking into account the particular needs of the participants (such as an indoor cycling class), these new fitness classes are being offered with particular goals and needs in mind. Here are a few examples of specialty fitness classes you may want to look for in your area, depending on your needs.

A senior citizen at legs exercise (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Senior Adult Programs: 
As the U.S. population continues to age and more of us are living longer, there are more older people who would like to take part in structured fitness activities in order to keep themselves healthier. But the average senior citizen probably isn’t going to be interested in participating in a high impact aerobics or pole dancing class, so more classes are being designed to meet their fitness goals, as well as their tastes. Even popular mainstream classes such as Zumba (a dance-based class featuring salsa and merengue music) are adapting themselves to provide a version for senior citizens. (The senior version is known as “Zumba Gold.”)

Pregnant Women:
For years doctors have recommended that pregnant women continue to get some type of physical exercise throughout almost the entire term of pregnancy. But pregnancy requires that certain motions and exercises be avoided, and that the intensity of the workout not be too great. Traditional fitness classes simply aren’t structured in a way to be safe or effective for pregnant women. Fortunately, there are classes that take the particular needs of pregnant women into account. These classes are commonly offered at local community centers and YMCAs - and occasionally at some gyms and fitness centers.

Children’s and Teen’s Fitness Programs:
Obesity rates among children and teenagers are at historically high levels. Kids don’t play the way they did in years past (with groups of kids from the neighborhood getting together after school and on the weekends), and due to budget cuts, many children no longer have physical fitness classes available to them at school. An increasing number of fitness professionals have taken note of this trend and have created programs tailored to overweight and obese children.

Fitness instructor Linda Walker leads Department of Defense civilian employees during an aerobathon. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Damien Horvath/Released) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Workplace Fitness Programs:
As health care insurance costs continue to increase, employers are constantly on the lookout for ways to save on their premiums and to help their employees pay less on their own shares of the premiums. These programs can take many different forms. For example, an employer might wish to offer a group fitness class in a conference room within the office, or perhaps organize a few coordinated times during the day when employees get up from their desks and do some light stretching or movement exercises. Even sponsoring a group walk over the lunch hour is a great way for employees to slowly and easily get themselves in better shape. Introducing workplace fitness programs can also help to improve overall employee wellness, which can reduce costly employee absentee days due to illness.

Specialty fitness programs are a great way for people with specific needs to find a class that they can feel comfortable participating in, and which can help improve their health.

Strength Training for Children?

When most people think of strength training, they imagine big buff body builders.  But contrary to popular belief, when done properly, strength training can be safe and beneficial to your child. Here are a number of benefits children can receive from strength training:

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

• Helps with sports performance.  Many preteens want to start a strength training program to improve their sports capabilities.  When done properly, strength training can help your child become a better athlete.  Just remember that it should be used to help with sport performance, not be a sport itself.  Pre-teens and teens' bodies are not ready for extreme muscle building.

• Can prevent injuries.  The stronger your child is, the less likely they are to hurt themselves when participating in other physical activities.  You may think that they can hurt themselves through strength training, but injuries are usually minor and can mostly be avoided when proper technique is used.

• Improves child’s stamina.  This is helpful when it comes to sports, but can be a plus in all aspects of life.  Improved stamina can help your child get through long, physically and mentally demanding days with less pain and stress.

• Improves overall physical health.  Strength training can strengthen bones, lower cholesterol, improve heart and lung function and help your child maintain a healthy body composition - all very important things considering today's growing epidemic of obesity.

• Teaches healthy exercise habits.  With the percentage of obese children today, most parents should be concerned about teaching their child healthy exercise practices, and strength training is a way to do it.  They’ll learn to be able to stick with a healthy exercise program and not overdo it.  For this reason, you should also incorporate regular aerobic activity into your child’s schedule. 

• Builds self esteem.   A lot of how your child feels about himself or herself comes from the way they look.  If they start looking and feeling better, they’ll feel better about themselves.  They will also build their self esteem by knowing that they can set goals and achieve them in a healthy manner - which is a great skill to take into adulthood.

Strength Training (Photo credit: Rtist MrB)

However, if considering strength training for your child, there are some safety concerns to be aware of.  If you’re going to let your child do strength training, make sure it is done properly, and take into account the following tips.

• Don’t start too young.  In order to master strength training, a child must be able to do the movements in proper form.  Young children are still learning to control their motor functions and shouldn’t be distracted by building muscle

• Consult your child’s pediatrician.  You doctor can not only tell you if your child is physically capable of starting strength training, they can also help you choose an appropriate exercise program and safety measures.

• Start slow.  Make sure your child has mastered the movements before allowing weights or other forms of resistance to be added.  Many injuries in strength training are caused by incorrect form.  In order to keep your child healthy, be sure they can perform the activity without resistance before letting them use weights.  Remember to add weights slowly.  Strength training is meant to help your child, not get them stronger as fast as possible.  A child should be able to do 15 reps of an exercise properly before moving on to more resistance.

If you follow these safety guidelines, you will start to see all the benefits that strength training can bring to your child’s life in no time.

Fun Exercise Tip - Let Your Kids Be Your Exercise!

In this busy time of holiday shopping, cooking, entertaining guests, and all the rest of the crazy busy holiday bustle, we can tend to forget what's really important - our health, and our family and loved-ones. Here is a great article on how to incorporate both into your daily routine - even during this crazy week!

Image via WikipediaLetting your kids be your workout is not only fun, but it's FREE, and good for both body and soul - for your entire family. Help each other stay fit and healthy, while maintaining your good spirits and your relationships at the same time. Check it out, and feel free to share your own fun family exercise ideas as well!

Minimalist fitness: your kids are the gym | zen habits
Kid learn most of all from what they see others doing, especially their parents. You can tell them things all day long, but unless they see you doing it, you're not teaching them much. When we go to the gym, they don't see us working ...
Publish Date: 11/16/2010 11:37
http://zenhabits.net/minimalist-gym/

 

Related articles on Fun Family Exercise:

• 12 Days of Fitness--in Only 30 Minutes! (self.com)
• Exercise for Mom: How to Get Fit with Your Kids (brighthub.com)
• How to Turn Exercise Into Something You Love (dumblittleman.com)

How to Get Your Kids to Exercise More

Although one of the best ways for kids to stay healthy is to get a lot or regular daily exercise, with the proliferation of video games, and longer and longer school days (in many areas), it can be difficult to get your kids to get motivated and get off the couch (especially if you have trouble with this yourself!).

This new study shows great results with getting your kids to exercise… by getting a dog!  Read on to find out more about this health-saving idea, and see if it sounds right for you and your family.

Want Kids to Get Exercise? Get a Dog
Researchers say owning a dog could encourage children to be active and help combat rising childhood obesity.
Publish Date: 09/24/2010 20:01
http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20100924/want-kids-to-get-exercise-get-a-dog

Related articles on Exercise for Kids:

• Can Exercise Make Kids Smarter? (mindbodygreen.com)
• For Kids, Fitness Comes First In The Bronx (newyork.cbslocal.com)
• Incorporating Kids into Your Exercise Routine (maplewoodbootcamp.com)