Health knowledge made personal
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I don’t want my kids to growup thinking exercise is something grown ups “have” to do. For many adults theprocess of starting an exercise program can seem monumental and looked uponwith dread. Isn’t starting anything always the hardest part? And often, adultsdon’t start exercising because they sincerely want to for the love of fitness,but because of health concerns or to lose excess weight. But if a child growsup with fitness as an integral part of his or her life, there’s no need tostart. As parents we can remove what is most difficult about being fit: gettingstarted. When my daughters were veryyoung I became aware that fitness needed to be included in parenting. Forfitness to be a family value in our home, I had to make fitness part of theirworld, too.  In the book, Hot (Sweaty) Mamas: Five Secrets to Life asa Fit Mom (Andrews McMeel 2011) an entire secret is devoted to mentoring.If you’re a parent, whether you’re aware of it or not, you are your children’s“fitness mentor.” When parents exercise, their children are more likely to growup to be active adults. I think we can raise those odds when we also exercisetogether. Sure I still find timeto exercise on my own, but I also seek out ways for my kids to join me whenpossible. To that extent I've become afirm believer in the family fitness triad: being a fitness mentor to mychildren through my own workouts, helping my children discover their ownfitness passions and finding time to be active together. Need some ideas to includekids in your workouts? Here are five ideas for family fitness: |
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