As elementary schools struggle with budget cutbacks, daily physical education is usually one of the first programs to go. A survey by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education reported that only 44 percent of children participate in school-based physical activity on a daily basis, and five percent receive no physical education at all.
In addition, the percentage of children between the ages of six and 11 who are overweight has more than doubled since 1970, according to figures from the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
These findings make it all the more important for children to get more physical activity at home or after school.
Exercising as a family not only strengthens ties between parents and children, it also makes regular physical fitness a priority for a lifetime.
Try these 10 tips to successfully combine fitness time and family time:
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1. Let the kids choose the activity.
Children need (and want) to see fitness as a fun activity, not just another task. Some children prefer to be on a team, while others are more comfortable being on their own or in a small group. Don't push your children into anything they don't want to do. Try to steer them in a direction that suits their temperament, talents, and interests.
2. Encourage teamwork, not competition.
Many children feel uncomfortable in a competitive atmosphere, even within a family. Being active together can provide the perfect opportunity for a family to work as a team.
3. Aim for consistency.
Encourage your children to start a regular fitness routine, such as biking with friends after school, hiking with the family on the weekend, or being involved in group sports activities.
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Family-Friendly Fitness Ideas
Archery
Badminton
Beach volleyball
Bowling
Cross-country skiing
Fishing
Horseback riding
Kayaking
Lacrosse
Martial arts
Miniature golfing
Mountain biking
Rock climbing
Rollerblading
Snow-shoeing
Street hockey
Water polo
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4. Give positive feedback.
There is nothing more important than giving children positive encouragement, both verbally and physically. No matter what their level of skill, help them see fitness as fun and enjoyable.
5. Be a health role model.
The best way to motivate your children is to set a healthy example yourself.
6. Use exercise as a bargaining tool.
Physical activity not only burns calories and builds muscle and bone, it also helps develop discipline. Making exercise part of your daily routine requires prioritizing and the creation of new habits. Reward work well done.
7. Assign physically challenging chores.
Yard work, dog walking, vacuuming, putting away the groceries, taking the trash cans to the curb, and helping with easy home maintenance activities are just a few examples of chores that not only teach structure and time management skills, but also help someone work up a sweat.
8. Organize family vacations around physical activities.
When you take vacations, visit places that will provide your family with built-in fitness possibilities with a focus on the outdoors. The options are endless!
9. Reduce access to sedentary lifestyle enablers.
Place limits on television or computer time. Family time spent around the television is not quality time together. If you don't want to get rid of the television altogether, watch with your child for a set period of time before turning it off. Create media- and electronic-free zones in the bedrooms, monitor television programming, and keep children under the age of two from watching, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
10. Revive the walk to school.
If you live close enough to your child's school, try walking instead of hopping in your car. You could form a daily or weekly walking group consisting of your child's neighborhood friends and their parents – making the trip not only healthful but also fun.
Parents around the world have been successful in developing scheduled Walking School Bus programs in which adults escort children walking to and from school. The "human bus" stops at designated pick-up spots so students can "board." Students are accompanied by an adult "driver" as well as a "conductor" at the rear of the "bus." Millions participate in the annual international I Walk to School week.
Resources:
For more ideas on family exercise, try the following:
The Sierra Club Family Outdoors Guide: Hiking, Backpacking, Camping, Bicycling Water Sports, and Winter Activities with Children by Marlyn Doan, Sierra Club Press.
Bicycling with Children: A Complete How-To Guide by Trudy E. Bell and Roxana K. Bell, Mountaineers Books.
A Guide to Happy Family Camping: A Little Help to Get Started Camping with Kids by Tammerie Spires, Good Books.
Fit Kids: The Complete Shape-Up Program from Birth Through High School by Kenneth H. Cooper, MD, Broadman & Holman Publishers. |
