6 Ways To Raise A Fitter Family

Kids Fitness Health Fitter Family Gym Sports Family Lifestyle

Keeping fit is not just for us adults, children should keep fit & active too, because it helps develop them physically & mentally. The emotional benefits of exercise makes kids fitness so important for their overall development.

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We live in a world with too much screen time & not enough real time. Kids these days have never experienced life without screen time… can you imagine?? Too much sitting in front of a t.v. or iPad can have negative effects on their health & well-being. When I was a child my life was outside, I rarely watched t.v. & when I did it was Saturday mornings at a push! I had outdoors, why would I wanna stay in??

Having a very energetic child, I see the effects of not having a normal childhood playing outdoors can have. We lived in Dubai, where most of the time it’s just too damn hot to go outside & play! So we find lots of kids in the same situation becoming accustomed to a screen for entertainment.

Kids need to interact with others their age, not just at school, but they need some kind of activities that can challenge them, push them & keep them fit & healthy in the meantime.

This is why I chose to sign my daughter up to an International Swimming Academy

ISA International Swimming Academy London Swimming School Kids

& Kajukenbo Classes – (more about that later)
Physical activity has countless health benefits for children & adults as we know. There is always a focus on adult fitness, but what about fitness for kids??
It is important we keep kids fit because, not only does exercise improve a child’s overall health & fitness, but it can also help to improve their mental health & cognitive development as well.

Some of the key benefits of physical activity for children –
  • Builds confidence & improves social skills
  • Gives children the opportunity to learn new skills and teaches them important life skills
  • Strengthens muscles and bones
  • Helps to develop coordination
  • Enhances concentration & learning, which, in turn increases productivity & success
  • Makes children feel good & elevates their mood
  • Inspires positivity, encourages tolerance
  • Helps to relieve stress & maintain mental & emotional wellbeing
  • Improves sleep & energy levels
  • Improves overall health and fitness & helps children maintain a healthy weight

Children who are inactive and who spend too much time in front of a screen watching television, playing computer video games or talking or typing on their phones have an increased risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. Too much screen time may also adversely affect your child’s muscle and bone development, posture, neck alignment, eye function and overall self-esteem and confidence.

The American Heart Association recommends that children ages 2 years and older participate in at least 60 minutes (or at least two 30-minute periods or four 15-minute periods) of enjoyable, physical activity every day to improve cardiovascular fitness, physical wellness and emotional development. –

Mark Sklansky, MD on behalf of UCLA Health
Pediatric Cardiology

There is a plethora of information for us to sieve through online if we really need more information, but the Doc has spoken & I don’t need any more convincing!

Here are six ways to help you raise a more fitter family as a whole –

You can help your kids in a variety of age-appropriate activities if you can’t sign them up to clubs, you can just brave the weather & hit the park, lots can be done together such as –

  • Basketball
  • Cycling
  • Roller skating
  • Football
  • Swimming
  • Tennis
  • Walking
  • Jogging
  • Running
  1. Set a regular schedule for physical activity, if you can’t get out, use the kids screen time to follow a kids Zumba video on YouTube such as – Saskiasdansschool
  2. Make being active a part of daily life, like taking the stairs instead of the lift or escalators.
  3. Start as you mean to go on by living a healthier lifestyle yourself, so you’ll be a positive role model for your family.
    Try my 7 Ways To Work Out Without Actually Working Out
  4. Get active as a family, make time to actively play games/sports or go hiking together.
  5. Keep it fun, so your kids will be enthusiastic about fitness & not see it as another chore.
  6. Make it a game, set tasks & goals so the kids can work towards success.

If your children’s school offers extra curricular activities that involve sports, sign them up! it’s usually free or a significant amount, but they are going to benefit from these clubs, so use them! If you can stretch to signing them up to a sports/leisure club for activities, even better! This gets them motivated to participate, builds team leading/building skills & can also help them make friends outside of the playground!

I signed my sassy daughter up for Kajukenbo classes. Kajukenbo is a hybrid martial art from Hawaii. The name Kajukenbo is a blend of the various arts from which its style is derived: KA for Karate, JU for Judo and Jujutsu, KEN for Kenpo & BO for Boxing. She is enjoying the challenge since joining, her trainer is excellent & I would urge all parents to give their kids a go at something that pushes them physically & mentally.

Hey! What fitness routines have you implemented into your daily lives? Is there anything you would like to add to this list? If so let me know in the comments below & don’t forget to share!!

 

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3 Comments

  1. 06/11/2018 / 8:24 pm

    I love the ideas for being fitter as a family! I always love going on walks & it’s even better when you have people along to talk to. Also- how fun is that Kajukembo class? I bet your daughter is loving that!!

    Kendra | http://www.helga-marie.com

    • 06/11/2018 / 10:39 pm

      I love going for family walks too! Yes she is loving it, thanks for reading 🙂

  2. 06/11/2018 / 3:15 pm

    This is so true! It is so crazy just how much time kids spend sitting inside looking at a screen! Getting them involved in group activities and sports is SUPER important!

    Lauren | https://livebythesunshine.com/

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