Exercising with your children
So many articles written about childhood obesity agree on and stress the importance of becoming healthier by changing lifestyles, improving self-esteem, healthy eating and exercising regularly. But how do we agree on how to make those things happen?
Most children are strongly influenced by their parents as their role models. If parents lead a fairly inactive lifestyle that is, if they hardly do any activity or exercise themselves then it is going to be very hard to ask their children to suddenly become active and interested in exercise.
Most children are strongly influenced by their parents as their role models.
To make a change for the better, parents and children have to become actively involved in changing their lifestyles. They need to support and encourage each other.
What does eating healthier mean? It could mean eating more fruit and vegetables every day. It could also mean starting the day with breakfast. Sharing meals with the family instead of eating in front of the TV could also lead to healthier eating habits.
Parents also have a strong influence over their children's diets. If parents want their children to eat a healthier diet then they not only have to provide healthy food, they must eat healthily themselves.
What does exercising regularly mean? Does it mean exercising every day or does it mean doing some form of exercise twice or three times a week? Does it have to be organised exercise like a sporting activity or can it be a daily PE lesson at school? Any of the examples mentioned would lead to a much healthier lifestyle but some children are put off by exercise. They feel they can't do it and become embarrassed.
Maybe instead of using the term exercising regularly we could change the suggestion to being active. Perhaps then children who really need to be encouraged to move and be involved would not feel threatened or embarrassed and their self-esteem would be improved.
Parents need to encourage their children to be active. They need to show support by becoming involved in their children's activities.
Sport and sporting activities are fantastic for those children who are keen and interested but not all children want to be part of a competitive sporting team.
Children can get the benefit of a healthy active lifestyle by riding their bike with friends and family in the park or swimming at the pool or the beach with their friends.
Being active does not have to be competitive. Any form of activity is not only good for your body but is good for your wellbeing. It is an opportunity to be involved and does great things for your self-esteem.
