Family Fitness with Your Preteens and Teens

In this blog I am going to be talking about family fitness with your preteens and teens. This is definitely a whole new ball game, since engaging with this age group can be more of a challenge. The reality is that preteens and teens would rather be hanging out with their friends, but don’t take it personally. We just have to really instill in our children the importance of maintaining good family relations and spending time together. What better way to do this than bringing in some type of exercise? You don’t even have to tell your children that this … Continue reading →

Family Fitness with Your 5 to 10 Year Old

In my last blog I talked about family fitness with your toddler. In this blog I am going to be talking about family fitness with your 5 to 10 year old. This age range allows for a lot of fun opportunities. While you can enjoy a lot of the more common physical activities with this age group (playing catch, soccer, walking, etc.), you can also come up with some really creative ideas for incorporating exercise. One idea is to go on a scavenger hunt. Now this might not sound like a way to incorporate fitness but that’s what makes it … Continue reading →

Family Fitness With Your Toddler

If we want to prevent future health problems in our children, then we need to be encouraging fitness while they are young. If they start off life with exercise and healthy eating, they are more likely to continue it into their adult years. So I am going to be writing a series on how you can incorporate family fitness into your home. And believe it or not, it starts with your toddlers. Once children start walking, they have the opportunity to begin a healthy lifestyle. That means allowing your child to walk, not always confining them to a stroller. If … Continue reading →

Celebrity Moms’ Unique Ways to Get Fit and Inspire Kids

Supermodel Cindy Crawford doesn’t want her daughter to fall into society’s trap of being super skinny, so she employs a simple tactic to encourage 7-year-old Kaia to snack: She goes out of her way to eat ice cream and potato chips in front of her. Does anyone else see the humor in this? Grimaces aside, Crawford is serious about keeping her kids fit and encouraging them to establish healthy body images. The 42-year-old mom recently told reporters that she is determined to keep her daughter from sacrificing her health for her figure, so she goes out of her way to … Continue reading →

Family Fitness: Stress and How it Affects the Family

How many arguments do parents have when one or the other arrives late from work? How many times have you heard a partner say, ‘I thought this was the one place I could catch a break!’ The myth of family is that the home should be a bastion of peace and tranquility. The stresses of life should not walk in the front door and sit down to share the supper table with the wife, kids, parents and in-laws. Family Stress Family stress is very much like normal stress in that the stress itself is inevitable. Families, after all, are comprised … Continue reading →

Fitness Goes to the Dogs

Do you remember the scene in One Hundred and One Dalmatians when Pongo comments on how dogs and their owners often look the same? It’s a mildly humorous statement, yet it can be accurate. Your dog may be a very accurate reflection of your personal health. If your dog is overweight, chances are he or she isn’t getting enough exercise. Does that suggest that maybe you aren’t getting enough exercise too? The average pet owner that walks their dogs regularly is going to cover more ground than those who just hit the gym to work out. Studies suggest that dog … Continue reading →

Family Fitness: Build on What You Know

I couldn’t be more proud of my daughter this year as she’s dived into the world of books with such bursting enthusiasm. She’s literally devouring the books faster than we can get them. Each book is a portal to another time, another place, and whether it’s an adventure or history or compassion, she’s learning a little bit more from each book. So it disturbed me when my husband commented that her reading was great, but he didn’t want her to get fat just sitting around and reading books. Active Kids This is an attitude that a parent shouldn’t have about … Continue reading →

Power Weeding – Flexibility and Endurance

Weeding is a lot like eating potato chips, you can’t pull just one. For most gardeners, weeds are a bane. I went to England for a week last month and during the 7 short days that I was gone, the weeds staged a coup on my flower beds. Gardening can be an active workout, just ask most of the most spectacular gardeners in your neighborhood, because caring for it I was out in my yard last evening, pulling weeds for about an hour. I have another hour’s worth of weeding to do today; just as likely I’ll spend some time … Continue reading →

Burn Body Fat Today

Do you want to burn body fat today? Swimsuit season is rapidly approaching (don’t blink because you’ll miss it) and it’s a time that gets everyone thinking about burning body fat. So what’s the best way to burn body fat today? Well the first part of that answer starts with you. What do you like to do? Hobbies and Exercise Sometimes, combining a hobby that you love with exercise is the way to go. For me, it’s my favorite television programs. How does that work? I record a lot of what I want to watch because I just don’t have … Continue reading →

Why The YMCA?

With 2008 fresh upon us, it’s important to look at all the fitness options available to you and your family. I know a lot of families, though, that are looking for great fitness options at a great fitness price and it’s not always easy to afford the fees at some gyms. (I know one that charges $125 a month for one person, it is closer to $200 for two people and you’re looking at $250 to $300 for a family membership.) So What Do We Do? I like working out in gyms, but I prefer to work out at home. … Continue reading →