proverbs-quote

Children are developing habits right now that they will carry for life. Several studies have shown that by the time you are 13, most of your habits are fully formed. That is scary.

 

As parents, grandparents, aunts uncles, or anyone who cares about kids we guide them to make the right choices. Something absolutely crucial you can pass onto that child is a love of exercise.

Are you out of shape or overweight? Were your parents? Think about where you got your ideas about what nutrition and physical activity look like. They came from who raised us. If you grew up out of shape and overweight, you can still be the one that breaks the cycle!

 

Give your child a habit that will continue to pay dividends for the rest of their life. The number one way you can show your child the importance of exercise, is to do it yourself.

 

Here are 5 ways to help your child develop a love for physical activity:

1. Get them to buy in

Give your child some buy-in, let them be the one to choose the activity, and show them that their opinion matters. This will go along way in helping them stick with exercise.

2. Be their cheerleader

Now is not the time to enter drill sergeant mode, especially if your child is overweight. Be their number one encourager, build them up every day, and only use positive words. The world is already a negative place; children don’t need any more from their parents.

3. Explore with them

Be willing to think outside the box and try new things, you never know which one may become a life long habit. You may find something you enjoy too. I will go in the gym and let my son take the lead. He comes up with pretty awesome activities! You have to be willing to participate along side them.

4. Doesn’t have to take all day

A perceived lack of time is what holds back a lot of adults from exercising. You don’t need 2 hours a day to get in shape. Do you have 15 minutes? Then that is the length of your workout. If you have more or less, then that is what you do. Teach them it is more important to have consistent workouts, than it is to workout for hours at a time.

5. Don’t make it a “workout”

Just like you can hide vegetables in their food to trick them into eating vegetables, you can “trick” your children into working out. What sounds like more fun? Sprints or running to that next tree to take cover from enemy fire? Squats or acting like a frog?

In our kid's class we have the kids sprint 20 yards, meet their partner and do The Whip. They can't wait to get to the middle and do the dance. If I ask them to run to the middle, I don't get the same enthusiasm. Stress fun and freedom over formal exercise.