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Healthy Kids and Families

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When we saw that this month is Childhood Obesity Awareness month, we paused and thought, is this really such an epidemic that it needs a month dedicated to it? What we found was staggering.One in 5 children in the United States is obese. That’s 20 percent of all children.

Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems that were once only seen in adults—preventable diseases like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

Sadly, these children are not getting enough exercise in their daily lives.

The good news? Childhood obesity can be prevented. Help your family move more each day and have fun with it. Think about what your family can do to be active together. Here are some ideas.

Schedule time

Most families are busy with school, work, and running errands, but making time to for exercise as a family can help keep you healthy. When parents set the example, It helps ingrain a healthy lifestyle their children.

Add physical activity to your daily routine. For example, walk or ride your bike to work or to a friend’s house, walk the dog with your children, exercise while you watch TV, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and park farther away from the store when running errands.

Invite others to join you

When you ask others to support your efforts, it makes the journey more fun. Set a time a few days each week to meet a friend at the gym, on a bike ride, or walking on a new trail.

Having a contest with friends could also be fun. Whether a jump rope contest, sprint races, and one-on-one basketball games in the driveway is another fun way to get moving.

Energize yourself

Do you have a time of way when you feel like you have a lot of energy? If you are a morning person, starting your day off with a workout might be the best time for you. Or, you may be the type who needs a work out at the end of the day to relieve some stress. Do you work near a place that has walking trails nearby? Grab a coworker and go for a walk on your lunch hour to give yourself a mid-day boost.

After dinner is also a great time for a family to take a walk or ride bikes around the neighborhood together and burn some energy before going to bed.

Make the Most of All Conditions

Don’t let the whether ruin your plans. Developing a set of activities for you and your family that are always available will keep you on track to stay healthy. Indoor cycling or swimming, stair climbing, skipping rope, walking the mall, sit ups, and push ups are all exercises that you can do no matter the weather conditions.

If you have access to a gym, try a new activity like yoga, swimming, dancing, or tennis. However, you don’t need a gym membership to be active. Walking, jogging, jumping jacks, planking, and doing push-ups are all free! Or, try a new class at a local community center. They are usually relatively inexpensive and also are a way to make new friends who have the same interests as you.

 

When you plan ahead and make physical activity a regular part of your family’s schedule, it becomes part of your routine. So, put it on a calendar, join a class at a gym, or get your kids involved in sports. Creating opportunities for you and your children to be active with friends and family will keep you all healthy.

 

 

Weight Loss Resolution

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Thanksgiving is a few days away. Christmas is a few weeks away. It’s getting darker earlier. It’s getting colder outside.
These are all things that are potential excuses as to why you aren’t watching what you eat and exercising on a regular basis.
This time of year people start thinking about their New Year’s resolution. They may have the mindset of “I’ll start working out and dieting next year,” and the gym is packed on January 2nd with everyone else who made the same resolution. Did you know that 80% of all people who join a gym in January give up in the first five months? Perhaps it’s because the gym is packed with people who are also committed to the idea of exercising, but will also drop out in the coming weeks months.
However, you don’t have to join a gym to get in shape. You can:

  • Walk or run around your neighborhood.
  • Get a good treadmill or other workout equipment. In the long run, these are less expensive than a gym membership (if you use them).
  • Use your stairs as a stair climber.
  • Do sit-ups and push-ups, they are easy to do just about anywhere.
  • Do lunges down the hallway.
  • Do squats while watching TV.
  • Get a set of free weights. Even 10, 20, or 30 pound weights will help maintain muscle tone.

If you get a minimum of twenty to thirty minutes a day, or about a hour of exercise three times per week, you can improve both your physical and mental health. Hard to stay motivated? Find a friend who will help keep you accountable or who will work out with you. Check out YouTube for online videos showing you workouts that you can do around the house. You can also join a virtual gym which turns your living room into an aerobic studio!
Exercising and eating healthy should be a way of life, not a diet. So many diseases and health issues (including heart disease, diabetes, and stroke to name a few) are preventable. All it takes is a commitment to taking care of yourself. It can save you thousands of dollars in doctor visits, medications, and time off of work. While it can be a good plan to work with a doctor to develop a weight loss plan that’s right for you, it’s important to know there is no magic pill and it may time some time to see the results. How do you know how much to lose, you ask?
Working with your doctor to determine your body mass index (BMI) is a good way to start. This is measured by calculating your height and weight. For example, if you are 5’10” tall and weigh 225 pounds, your BMI is 32.3 which is considered obese. Depending on your situation, your doctor may recommend a very specific diet such as high protein and low carb. Whatever the plan is, it’s important to set up reasonable expectations so you don’t set yourself up for failure.
Crash diets should be avoided. When you limit your eating, your metabolism actually slows down. Then once you’ve lost the 10 pounds you wanted to lose, your body burns calories slower and you end up gaining more weight.
Ready to get started? Talk to your doctor to make sure you are healthy enough for exercise and discuss your various options for dieting to find a combination of both that is right for you.
It’s never too late to start, but you don’t need to wait until January!

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