We live in a busy world. Sometimes we are too busy to breathe much less find a workout routine that fits in with our schedules. Somehow it has become popular to be overscheduled. Busyness has become a state of being and if you aren’t busy then you must be lazy or have no life. Hold on. Let’s rethink our busy lifestyles. Cut out the fat in your schedule and you may cut out the fat around your belly as well as help your kids stay fit.
Recess and gym are not nearly enough exercise for a child. Most kids get less than a half hour of recess. For some kids gym is not everyday. Between car pooling, making dinner, and working, it is hard to encourage an active lifestyle in our children. However, we cannot rely on recess or gym class. Young children need parents to guide them and teach by example what it means to live an active life. Otherwise they may fall into obligatory recess and gym while playing video games when they get home. That will lead to a sedentary life once recess and gym class are no longer a part of their lives.
Encourage you child to stay active with simple means of going to the park. Play soccer in the front yard before dinner. Go for a walk after dinner. You can walk the dog together. Find active hobbies like basketball, geocaching, or roller skating. You don’t have to join a gym or go extreme in a sport. You simply need to be willing to play and enjoy active times with your child. Younger children have so much energy and when it is not spent in a positive direction it can be spent in a negative direction. So do yourself and your child a favor and start spending some active time together.