Only one in three children are physically active every day, which means that many children aren’t involved in health and fitness enough to be their healthiest. As a parent, your goal is to raise healthy children. Plunkett Fitness has a few fun ways that you can get your children involved in their own health and fitness.
Get Outside
It is all too easy to stay inside. We blame the weather, time, and other factors, but getting outside and playing is one of these easiest ways to get kids active. When you are outside, there are so many ways to be active. Whether you go on walks as a family, play at the park, ride bikes through the neighborhood, or get involved in sports, this activity is a great step at being more active as a whole family. Plus, kids love when their parents get involved and spend time doing something they enjoy. Pick up a ball and have a blast.
In the winter, it can be harder to get outside. Sledding and hiking are two activities that you can try out. Walks are also great in any weather, just be sure to bundle up a little bit.
If you have a dog, you already have a great excuse to get outside. Dogs need exercise, too. When you have to take your dog on a walk, you are more likely to stick to it. Bring the whole family along for a fun activity together.
Talk About Nutrition
Since you probably provide the majority of the foods that your children eat, they might not know much about what they put into their bodies. Sit down and talk about proper nutrition. After you have given your children some information, let them plan a meal. You can take them shopping for ingredients and help them make the meal. When they are given the lead, they will better understand what it takes to prepare and eat a healthy meal.
With all the busy schedules you have to work around, it might be helpful to plan and make your meals for the week over the weekend or all on one day each week. This will make it easier for everyone to have a healthy meal instead of going through the nearest drive-thru. Get the whole family involved in creating the weekly menu, go shopping together, and make all the food as a family.
Buy Toys That Encourage Activity
Video games have become common fixtures in many households. Unfortunately, many kids play games while sitting in front of the television. Instead, buy toys and games for your children that require a little activity. For example, dancing video games allow your children to use their video game consoles still while getting in a little extra exercise.
Toys like jump ropes and footballs (or any kind of ball that your kids will play with) are great active toys.
Take Up a New Family Hobby
There are many different active hobbies that you could take up together. Maybe you spend one night a week bowling as a family, or you can take tennis or golf lessons as a family. No matter what kind of physical hobby you choose, when you do it as a family, you will not only strengthen your bond, but you will also be healthier. These hobbies don’t have to feel like exercise either. For example, miniature golf is a fun way to spend time as a family without feeling like you are adding in a lot of exercise.
Join Our Kids’ Fitness Program
Our Kids’ Fitness classes teach children how to exercise using proper technique. During the program, we go over weight training, resistance training, and a variety of upper and lower body workouts. While we teach the fundamentals of proper strength training, we aim to have as much fun as possible. This program is designed to help kids learn these techniques now to get them started on a healthier lifestyle at a young age.
We offer training in weeks-long programs. During each program, you can sign your children up for between one and three sessions each week. The program is designed for children from 4th to 8th grade of any fitness level. Both boys and girls are encouraged to participate in these programs.
You can sign up for these programs at any time. If the program has already started, you can still join. The cost will be prorated to ensure that you are only paying for the classes that your kids take. All children in the Overland Park, Kansas, area are encouraged to give it a try.
Plunkett Fitness offers group and personal training programs for adults as well. Our goal is to help you learn fitness and nutritional information that will lead you to a healthier lifestyle for the rest of your life. To get started with one of our trainers, give us a call today at 913-390-3360.
