Keeping kids active: Ideas for parents
Children are more sedentary than ever, watching television and playing video games instead of biking to the playground or playing kickball in the backyard with their pals is a major cause. And even schools have stopped emphasizing fitness, in some school districts, physical education has vanished completely because of under-funding.
Kids need regular exercise to build strong bones and muscles. Exercise also helps children sleep well at night and stay alert during the day. Such habits established in childhood help adolescents maintain healthy weight despite the hormonal changes, rapid growth and social influences that often lead to overeating. And active children are more likely to become fit adults.
As childhood has become more sedentary, children have put on weight — lots of it. In the past 30 years, the rate of childhood obesity has more than tripled, leading to a dramatic increase in the number of children with type 2 diabetes, a disease once limited to sedentary, overweight adults.
You do have the power to give your children a lifelong appreciation for activities that strengthen their bodies.
Follow these tips to keep your kid active:
1 Set a good exampleIf you want an active child, be active yourself. Take the stairs instead of the elevator and park the car farther away from stores. Never make exercise seem like a punishment or a chore. Find fun activities that the whole family can do together, such as:
· Swimming
· Nature hikes
· Bike riding
· Canoeing
· Walks with the family dog
· Playing Tag
· Dancing
· Hopscotch
· Jump-rope
· Hide & Seek
If mom and dad exercise, it's a very powerful message for a child to exercise. In addition to getting active, exercising together gives you good family time. The goal is to get kids moving, whatever the activity.
2 Limit ‘Screen Time'There are a lot of reasons why children are less active today, but the biggest culprit is the television set, followed closely by video games and computers, these activities encourage a sedentary lifestyle by limiting movement for long periods of time.
Watching television is directly related to childhood obesity. Children who watch more than five hours of television a day are eight times more likely to be obese than are children who watch less than two hours of television a day.
A surefire way to increase your children's activity levels is to limit the number of hours they're allowed ‘screen time' each day. When children are bored they find things to do.
3 Promote Activity, not ExerciseOf course sports and other organized activities are a great way to keep your kid moving however, kids don't have to be in sports or take dance classes to be active. Every kid is wired differently. We all have certain strengths and characteristics that permit us to do certain things better than others. Many noncompetitive activities are available for a child who isn't interested in organized athletics.
The key is to find things that your child likes to do. For instance, if your child is artistically inclined, go on a nature hike to collect leaves and rocks that your child can use to make a collage. If your child likes to climb, head for the nearest neighborhood jungle gym or climbing wall. If your child likes to read, then walk or bike to the neighborhood library for a book.
4 Start YoungRemember your energetic toddler? Direct that energy into a lifelong love of physical activity. By incorporating physical activity into our children's lives at an early age, you are setting the foundation for good fitness habits in the years to come. For instance, have your child show you how bunnies hop, eagles fly or dogs wag their tails.
Some other suggestions for keeping kids interested:
· Play games your elementary school child loves, like tag, cops and robbers, Simon says and red light, green light. If you don't remember the rules for these games, make up your own or walk to your local library and check out a book on games.
· Let your toddlers and preschoolers see how much fun you can have while being active. Don't just run with them. Run like a gorilla. Walk like a spider. Hop like a bunny. Stretch like a cat.
· Plan your family vacations around physical activities — hiking, biking, skiing, snorkeling, swimming or camping. Take along a ball or Frisbee disc to sneak in some activity at rest stops.
· Make chores a family affair. Who can pull the most weeds out of the vegetable garden? Who can collect the most litter in the neighborhood? Have your kids help shovel the snow off the driveway and use that excess snow to build a huge snow fort.
· Vary the activities. Let each child take a turn choosing the activity of the day or week. Batting cages, bowling and restaurant play areas all count. What counts is that you're doing something active as a family.
(ArticlesBase SC #44069)
Article Tags:
Obesity
,Food
,Diet
,Health
,weight loss
,Fitness
,Exercise
,Children
,Kids
,Parenting
,Fat
,Overweight
,Obese
Losing Weight - Physical Activity
Learn how to lose weight - What constitutes physical activity? (00:45)
Losing Weight - Physical Activity Part 5
Learn how to lose weight - How do I keep from getting bored? (00:30)
Losing Weight - Physical Activity Part 4
Learn how to lose weight - Do I have to work out for 30 or 60 minutes straight? (00:40)
Losing Weight - Physical Activity Part 3
Learn how to lose weight - Can you only truly work out in a gym? (00:30)
Losing Weight - Physical Activity Part 2
Learn how to lose weight efficiently - What if I’m too busy to workout? (00:55)
Being overweight causes a lot of misery. Extra weight puts an extra burden on the skeletal frame which causes pain when walking or trying to play a sport. Clothes never seem to fit properly and feel uncomfortable. And for many men and women having a bulky body gives a lack of self-esteem. A sensible weight-loss program is essential if you want to be healthy and active into middle-age and beyond.
Weight loss camps help kids lose weight, gain skills
Many parents are being told to put their kids on a diet or risk that they will develop serious health problems. But what is the best way to get a child to lose weight and keep it off?
Tips to help your kid lose weight.
The first thing that I must do is applaud you for taking the time to research this disproportionally growing problem. Whatever the reason, these children are in serious trouble. Find out why dads, moms, and kids who have never had success losing weight, are seeing results after just the first week.
7 Tips to Health and Weight Loss 4 Kids
If you have a major medical condition that causes you to gain weight, or prevents you from losing it, seek the guidance of a health care specialist. If it is a way to lose major pounds for health reasons, I can help. What I have done is research and study different diets, to see why some work, and others don’t work at all or are unsustainable.
A child who is over weight can find life away from the family environment very difficult. The teasing and name calling can be relentless at school and can cause the child to suffer a great amount of anxiety and low self esteem. As parents, it is our responsibility to ensure that our kids stay as fit and healthy as possible and if a child is overweight we have to act quickly to reverse this growing trend. So how can we achieve this?
Green beans - a real godsend for people, who want to lose weight. Green bean-pods have very useful fiber. Like all legumes, bean is rich in vegetable protein. Vegetarian menu contains this remarkable product necessarily.
The Truth About Six Pack Abs eBook - PDF Download - Learn The Truth About Six Pack Abs eBook - PDF Download by mike geary review . Learn The Ultimate Secrets to a Flat Stomach and Six Pack Abs.With this article, I want to show you why you might be struggling to lose that stubborn stomach fat that is covering up your abs.These are the main reasons most people just can not seem to get those six pack abs that everyone desires.
Forex trading in today’s market almost requires that traders utilize software in some way to be successful. There are many different programs available that perform different analyses and even actual trades, and they all claim to be the one you must have.
Fat burners (thermogenics) are a group of supplements that are designed to help your body burn fat faster. However, there is much debate as to whether they are effective or not in helping people lose weight which makes the decision to use them very difficult.
Fat burners (thermogenics) are a group of supplements that are designed to help your body burn fat faster. However, there is much debate as to whether they are effective or not in helping people lose weight which makes the decision to use them very difficult.
Fat burners (thermogenics) are a group of supplements that are designed to help your body burn fat faster. However, there is much debate as to whether they are effective or not in helping people lose weight which makes the decision to use them very difficult.
All of us have our reasons why we are overweight. For a lot of of us the blame game is a never ending loop of exactly why we became fat in the first place. Despite the fact that the majority of of us have some extremely good explanations for being overweight, it won’t make you lose a single pound. Justifications, however legit they may seem to be probably won't make you shed weight.
There is such a large amount of conflicting information out there coming from so many different sources that it would be practically impossible to unearth the weight loss formula without a great deal of effort. Scientists are currently capable of manipulating and replicating DNA so don't you think that they have worked out precisely how anyone can get rid of belly fat.
Most of us have a pretty good idea of what healthy eating is: lots of fruits and vegetables and not too much fat and sugar. But when it comes to kids, knowing what is healthy is only the start. And even if you shop ‘healthy' it does not mean that your kid will willingly eat it.
Weight loss can still be achieved even when dining out and busy schedules. With a little planning ahead you and your child can make healthy choices and lose weight.
Kids need regular exercise to build strong bones and muscles. Exercise also helps children sleep well at night and stay alert during the day. Such habits established in childhood help adolescents maintain healthy weight despite the hormonal changes, rapid growth and social influences that often lead to overeating. And active children are more likely to become fit adults.
Many concerned parents often ask me "Is it OK to put my kid on a diet?" My answer is always a quick and firm "NO". The word diet is defined as ‘A food regimen designed to promote weight loss in a person.' To lose weight, keep it off and live a long healthy life an overall healthy lifestyle is essential.
Often for one reason or another your family may be stuck indoors. Physical activity is does not need to be compromised. You don't have to have a home gym for your child to stay active during rainy, cold and snowy months? There are plenty of places to take your child when cabin fever sets in and fun activities that you can do in your own home. Always try to make activity a fun family time. After all playing with your kids is a great for you to keep in shape too!
It's no secret that many parents and their children are overweight. These 10 simple ‘secrets' can help you change your family's lifestyle so that you can all become fit and healthy.
Practical Tips to Help Your Overweight Kid.
Creating a nutritionally healthy home is one of the most important steps you can take to ensure the health of your child. To start, make smart food choices, and help your child develop a positive relationship with healthy food. Your children will learn their food smarts from your example.
1