Working Out With Your Kids

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

28 Jan 2006 10:00 AM

When written in Chinese, the word "crisis" is composed of two characters--one represents danger, and the other represents opportunity.

-John F. Kennedy

You know it takes time to wash your car, cook dinner, and do the laundry or even just drive to and from work every day. The average time for most of these activities is a minimum of 60 minutes. So what does this have to do with working out with your kids? 60 minutes a week can make all the difference in the world for your children where fitness are involved.

The worries about childhood obesity and couch potato'ism continue to grow and ultimately it is not up to society to teach your children better habits, it's up to you. Working out with your kids can make your relationships more satisfying. Imagine if you will, being reminded by your five year old that it's time to workout.

So how do you make that happen? How do you work out with your kids when you're already on the go, you can't take them into the gym and they aren't likely to use the heavy equipment unless their teenagers?

Well, this is the same year that Cookie Monster is your new ally. He's now a milk-drinking, broccoli loving Muppet. Can you imagine? Cookie Monster eating broccoli? But he's doing it. There's the show Boobah that's designed to get your kids up and jumping. There's a show on Nickelodeon called Lazy Town that features a very healthy hero whose super powers come from vegetables and exercise. JoJo's Circus, Dora the Explorer and more are all interactive shows that don't want their viewers sitting still while they watch - no they want them up and moving.

So maybe you can't take your toddler or young child to the gym, but you can watch a thirty-minute show with them and get moving. While television is a long way from being the solution to a problem they contribute to, the point is not to blame the television but the way in which adults utilize it. Television is easy entertainment. It encourages a sedentary culture, but with the advent of the VCR, digital recorders and TiVO - the restrictive nature of television is lifting.

There are other ways to work out with your kids, including taking them to a park, riding a bike, taking them roller-skating. Encourage them to be active, but the best encouragement you can give them is to be active yourself. It's often very true that leading by example is the best way to teach children about health, fitness and life. Telling a child they can't or shouldn't do something, that the parent obviously does sends conflicting messages.

If you tell your child to get up off the sofa and go be active, all the while hoarding the remote - the message you send is going to being very crossed by the time the child receives it. Sign up at a local Little Gym or other fitness area that focuses on children's activities. Lifetime Fitness is a large, 24/7 fitness center that also features a childcare center. Within the childcare center at the local Lifetime Fitness is a large obstacle course and ball pit where the children can be as active as their parents who are using the gym to workout.

Explore your options. Whether you are getting up to dance along with JoJo and her circus, or you are playing tag at the local park, get your kids active and join them. Lead by example and workout with your kids. Give them a healthy head start on fitness.

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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