Family Exercise in the Cold

Winter can make it tempting to consume more calories, to stay inside and to exercise less, especially when your family has young children. In fact, it’s quite safe to exercise in the winter, even for young kids. If you’re not sure how to make the best of the winter months, kidshealth.org has a great overview on cold weather sports and your family at http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_fit/fitness/wintersports.html.

Childhood Obesity, Asthma and Exercise

More than 6.3 million U.S. children younger than 18 have asthma. In many cases, the diagnosis of this manageable condition can create unnecessary obstacles to wellness. According to a study in the journal BMC Family, it’s vital for physical and psychological health that asthmatic kids participate in physical activities. According to study authors, “The overwhelming majority of studies show that people with asthma can exercise safely if medicated appropriately and can significantly improve their cardiovascular fitness and quality of life by doing so.” The key to ensuring asthmatic children enjoy physical activities is educating teachers, yourself and the child about asthma, particularly the ability to differentiate between exercise-induced and more serious symptoms.

150 Calorie Snacks

Experts agree that snacking is part of a healthy diet. With just a little bit of planning and effort, you and your whole family can enjoy any number of tasty treats for less than 150 calories:

·          ½ cup of cottage cheese topped with raisins

·          One piece of string cheese

·          One whole-grain waffle topped with one small sliced banana

·          Four ounces of low fat pudding with one cup of berries

·          10 multigrain pretzels dipped in 2 tsp natural peanut butter

·          Two thin slices of low fat cheese with an apple.

Why Exercise Is Cool for Kids

Young children exercise almost without thought, just by being their young, energetic selves. As children age, parents may need to have more explicit discussions about why play, exercise and not watching more than two hours of screen time per day are important. Of course, being honest, kind and yourself are most important, but if you need a comprehensive overview on the value of fitness, check out this great article from kidshealth.org at http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/fit/work_it_out.html.

Sleep Healthy

For any of us, poor sleep habits increases the risk of depression, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. But these risks are particularly pronounced for kids, who are still learning how to sleep effectively. Children’s sleep requirements vary by age and individual, but there are a few general rules parents can follow to make sure their children get the rest they need: establish a 10-30 minute bedtime routine that includes a winding-down period; play soft, soothing music; allow your child to make small choices like what PJs to wear or what music to hear; tuck them in comfortably to increase feelings of safety; and understand the varying sleep requirements kids have by age. You can find a good overview of kids’ sleep requirements on WebMD at http://www.webmd.com/parenting/guide/how-much-sleep-do-children-need.

Family Affair

iVillage.com offers some great suggestions for keeping exercise a family affair. Among the thoughts? Keep variety and fun foremost, taking family walks and role modeling the behavior you expect from your kids. Remember, kids need no more than one hour of screen time each day and should spend at least one hour per day engaged in moderate to vigorous exercise. Read the whole article at http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/diet-fitness/how-make-exercise-family-affair.html.

Easy Mayo

The wizards at the Mayo Clinic offer some simple suggestions for fighting obesity as a family. Starting with the fundamental observation that weight gain comes from ingesting more calories than we burn, the Mayo Clinic plan for family health emphasizes attainable goals, fun and positive celebrations of success. Check the whole plan out at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/childhood-obesity/FL00058.

Kids, School and Fitness

With kids returning back to school and daylight waning in the northern hemisphere, it can become difficult to keep fitness a family affair. Remember, your kids watch what you do more than they listen to what you say. As such, it’s important to do more than just tell your kids to go out and play; go out and play with them! Here are some great tips on keeping exercise family friendly: pick an activity that’s fun for all ages (walking, swimming, biking), choose activities that are convenient and inexpensive as you’ll be more likely to stick with them, and most importantly, have fun!

Family Fun (Without a Wii)

Real Simple Family offers a few great tips for family activities that don’t require electricity. Among them: play tag, find and climb a good tree, make soap bubbles, play hopscotch, track a planet across the sky and others. You can find more suggestions at www.realsimple.com.

Shape Up Your Family

The C. Everett Koop foundation and Shape Up America have teamed to deliver a great resource for making your family more active. Find their 99 tips for Family Fitness here: http://www.shapeup.org/publications/99.tips.for.family.fitness.fun/.