Help Your Child Stay Fit
This Is So Important
Help Your Child Stay Fit by Kirsten Hawkins
Would your child rather watch television and play video games all day than
move an inch? Children are battling obesity and inactivity at alarming rates.
It's time to get our kids in shape now, before they face serious health problems
in the future. But how?
As you can guess, the plan includes lots of fun. Any time you can add excitement and laughter into an activity, you've got a winner. Let's take a look at some of the ways you can help your child not only become healthier, but enjoy the process!
First, plan some family nights out, and by that I mean Outdoors. Catching fireflies, passing football, even camping out in the backyard get the whole gang moving. Plus, you're making memories for a lifetime.
Secondly, kids love fun, unusual games. Check out a book of outdoor games at the library, and play some of the oddest ones. Use a tennis racket and large plastic ball for baseball, a giant exercise ball for kickball, and balloons for volleyball. The simple changes make the game more fun -sometimes downright hysterical!
Next, it's time to look for a physical hobby - something that requires movement. Gardening's a great one - plant giant pumpkins, King Sunflowers, grape tomatoes, mini carrots, and odd-shaped gourds for novelty. Check out a book on carpentry for kids, and let your child learn to build some simple items like birdhouses and feeders.
You may want to consider investing in one of the large, inflatable waterslides or rock climbing wall. Some of these inflatable items are surprisingly sturdy and provide hours of physical fun and exercise.
Finally, enhance your child's creativity as well by having him or her design an obstacle course in the backyard. Beware! You may have to run through it, too! But activities that provide fun and fitness for the whole family can't be beat!
Who knows? Before long you may find the video games on a shelf gathering
dust. Wouldn't that be a nice change of pace?
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville, TN. Visit popular-diets.com/ for more great nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and comments on popular diets.
Kirsten, I could not agree more. Replace the TV with activities and the junk food with carrots and apples. Raising healthy children is one of the biggest keys to good parenting. Overweight children are not healthy children. Parents, please take the time to gain the knowledge to correct this.
One of the best ways of helping your child stay fit is to change the way you think about food. Set an example by serving nutritious meals and not being overweight yourself.
Why Are We Overweight? By Anna
Why are we overweight? This question has been asked many times and we all have different answers. The most common is because we eat too much, especially junk food, and exercise less.
It is easy to say, I will lose weight and keep it off. Reality is, that when we eat more calories than we can use for energy, our bodies store fat. The issue is whether we are seriously committed to change our lifestyle, adopt healthier habits and exercise more.
After we gain weight, we find difficulty losing it. There is hope. Increasing our fat burning metabolism will help us lose weight. Most people have tried many diets, such as quick weight loss diets with the hope of loosing that unwanted fat, yet failed to keep the weight off. Why? Because quick diets are not the answer. Think for a moment, we did not gain all that weight in one week, but gradually, right? Therefore, we can lose that unwanted fat gradually and keep the weight off.
This is why it is so hard to lose fat and to stay slim with those quick weight loss diets. Some of these diets are so extreme they leave you feeling hungry, weak, and the end result is that instead of promoting a healthy eating habit to lose weight, you end up cheating and eating until you satisfy those cravings.
Back to our original question, why are we overweight? People are overweight for different reasons: eating too much, lack of exercise, slow fat burning metabolism, retaining water, eating too late, eating unconsciously while watching TV, eating the wrong foods. We tend to eat for emotional reasons too, as we relate food as calming our nerves. Sound familiar? Sure, we feel fine while eating, but is this the answer to calm our nerves? No. Definitely not.
Anxiety can drive us to eat more and see food as an ideal comfort. How to resolve the overweight issue? First, we recommend you take a conscious decision of examining your eating habits and consult a physician to check your health before starting any nutritional program and exercise plan. Second, keep a daily record of what you eat, drink at least 8 glasses of water, have green tea to increase your metabolism, consume lots of vegetables and fresh fruit, avoid junk food and heavy sugary products. Third, learn to say no when friends or family members offer you second or third servings. Fourth, keep a firm decision and a positive attitude to lose that unwanted weight, visualize the new you. Fifth, contact friends who will encourage you to lose weight and motivate you when feeling down. There is always someone ready to keep you motivated.
Whenever you feel you are eating for anxiety, think twice. Stop for a moment and ask yourself, “am I really hungry or is this just an emotional excuse?” Instead of eating impulsively, try to drink water or have a cup of green tea, go out for a walk, or contact one of your friends for motivation. Remember you are not alone; there are many people trying to lose weight and helping each other is the most valuable tool. Others have lost weight and kept the weight off. I did it, so can you! Believe in yourself, you are special.
Anna “Overweight? NO MORE!” lost over 80 pounds from 230 pounds and has kept the weight off for 3 years. She believes that every person can achieve a healthier figure with determination, eating healthy, and exercising. There is no general miracle diet, and every body responds differently. It is a matter of taking the first step: ”Believing that one can regain a healthier body, having that strong inner motivation is the key to stay focused. I did it, so can you!” www.officialoverweightnomore.com
Thanks Anna for more information to help your child stay fit.
Top of Help Your Child Stay Fit
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Healthy Children :
Picky Eater :
Overweight Children
Activities On A Budget :
Kids Eating Healthy :
Feeding A Baby
Unfit Youth :
Childhood Obesity :
Teenagers And Drugs
