HEALTH AND FITNESS FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY

Susan Alvis

How do you get your family off the sofa and encourage them to get moving with you? It can be a simple task if you find an exercise program that the entire family can enjoy!

With so many Americans overweight and even more that don’t follow a regular exercise program, it is up to mom and dad to initiate some movement within their own household. There’s an old saying that the “family that plays together, stays together.” This is the approach you should take to get your family moving! It’s not exercise, it’s time to play!

First, pay close attention to what everyone in the family likes to do. For example, if both you and your spouse are tennis fanatics, tennis should definitely be on the exercise agenda. If your son is an avid golfer, you need to learn to swing! If your daughter is a devoted jogger, guess who needs to jog too? Find out what everyone in the family likes to do (and you probably already know) and then do it as a family!

Your family’s fitness schedule should be something that you will stick with throughout the year with a “plan B” if the weather prohibits the ability to follow through with one of your preferred activities. Make sure that everyone in the family gets to choose an activity to insure overall enthusiasm and participation from everyone!

While planning your Family Fitness plan, you need to start planning some major changes within the kitchen and refrigerator as well. It’s a good time to throw out all of the stale chips and make a commitment to replace the unhealthy choices with healthy alternatives!

Carrot sticks, apples, bananas, fig newtons, air-popped popcorn, graham crackers, celery sticks, pretzels, and seedless grapes are excellent choices that children and teens will grab without a second thought if you make them available.
Fill your fruit bowl, refrigerator, and cabinet with the healthier snacks and watch how your entire family doesn’t even notice a significant difference. While you’re at it, fill the refrigerator with bottled water and a variety of fruit juices. Diet sodas are loaded with sodium so toss them out the door too!

You can make subtle changes that your family will appreciate you for later in life. Now is the time to make a healthy change for you and your family. Don’t even mention the changes in the kitchen. Your children and teenagers will likely just grab something when they are in search of a snack. If you announce that the “family is going to start eating more nutritious meals and snacks” what kind of appeal does that have to the child who was raised on chicken tenders from Burger King?

Healthy living is a great way to care for your family. It starts with you and most likely, your children will continue to do what they learned to do at home once they spread their wings and fly solo. Make sure you provide the healthy start they need to carry with them a lifetime!