Are Sports Not Working Any More?

Sports were the typical activity to keep kids fit. Nobody really planned them outside of the idea that they were fun. There was Little League, soccer and of course football or basketball. Kids got together and started games themselves or they went with their parents into organized activities. Today, we have a lot more options for extracurricular activities and parents and kids alike are going to them in droves. So why isn’t it helping? Because sports, by their very nature, are biased against overweight kids. Why do I say this? Because I’ve been spending this whole week getting ready for … Continue reading →

Sticks and Stones …

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can’t hurt me. This is a childhood saying that we teach our kids because we want to teach them that just because someone says something nasty to them, they don’t have to respond with fists or kicks or scratches. But words are powerful things, they can help and they can hurt. The child who is labeled ‘fatso’ or ‘four-eyes’ is immediately singled out by classmates for being different. The difference doesn’t have to be profound or even unusual, it just has to be different enough that the other kids can pick … Continue reading →

10 Fit Kids Ideas for Summer

It’s started. Kids are getting out of school and the flood gates started opening in some areas this week. I’m lucky, I still have another week and half before my daughter’s school lets out for the 12 long weeks of hot summer days and boredom in the afternoon. But you can take advantage of the long, hot days to work on your fitness and your children’s fitness as well. Here are 10 great ways to take advantage of the fitness: Incorporate physical activity into the daily routine. From household chores to an after dinner walk, keep your family active every … 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 →

11,000 Steps A Day

Hey Moms and Dads, are you doing the 10,000 steps a day program to maintain your fitness? You might consider buying a pedometer for your kids because according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, boys should be taking at least 11,000 steps a day and girls should be taking 13,000. Easier Said Than Done Why do they want kids taking that many steps? Simple, they are doing studies and they found in their sampling of 709 kids, that 30 to 40% of those not getting that many steps a day were overweight. Overweight kids are a big deal in our … Continue reading →

The Buddy Challenge!

You know what we haven’t had much of recently? If you’re thinking challenge, then you’re right. We haven’t had much of a challenge lately. So I thought I would offer you this challenging idea and see if you will pick it up and ‘run’ with it or ‘walk’ with it or even ‘cycle’ with it. We’re going to call it our Buddy Challenge. What Is It? The Buddy Challenge is a way to not only improve your fitness, but also to help you boost relationships with a buddy whether it’s a friend, a child or a spouse. For the purposes … 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 →

Get Fit With a Dancing Cheetah Girl

When Sabrina Bryan showed up on Dancing with the Stars, my daughter went nuts. I had no idea who the blonde bombshell was until my 7 year old informed me that she was a “Cheetah Girl” in that tone that suggests I should have been paying attention. While we were crazy for So You Think You Can Dance last summer, we’ve never fallen for the Dancing with the Stars until this year. Healthy Kids Fitness Challenge The Healthy Kids Fitness Challenge is committed to promoting a healthy body image for young girls as well as combating childhood obesity. It turns … 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 →

Walk to School Day Tomorrow

Tomorrow is National Walk to School Day. We talked about this last year and I’m a little flummoxed that it’s here again so quickly. It feels like just yesterday that my daughter and I were strolling along with a few hundred others in the walk to school effort in our own neighborhood. She still has the sticker they gave her last year. She came home with the flyer from school yesterday and was bouncing up and down. She wanted to meet several of her friends and walk with them on the walk to school effort. I could go too, but … Continue reading →