Ploeger: Healthy kids learn habits at home | Children Health Wizard

Two weeks ago, I wrote about one of our Paul Derda Recreation Center fitness trainers Cindy Stephens and her training and concerns over childhood obesity. Last week I shared information about my upbringing, which negatively impacted my life over the years. Again, that information focused on childhood obesity and what doesn?t work in creating good health and fitness in families and individuals. Today, I will share information about families and individuals that do it right. They have learned how to develop healthy families and children, and they do it without ?beating a point? hard core. They do it in fun, appealing ways that lead naturally to healthy consequences.

I believe the burden of responsibility for preventing

childhood obesity falls first on parents or caregivers. The saying ?do as I say, not as I do? rarely works well. Children don?t simply need instructions on what to do to eat healthy foods and get enough exercise; they need guidance and examples from those who mean the most to them. Demonstrating healthy, well-balanced habits to our children is the best teaching tool ever.

Each day I see parents coming to our recreation facilities with their kids in tow. Sometimes parents are bringing small children to the child-care facility while they work out. Many also stop at the indoor playground and let their children run around and play before they return home. Others come obviously prepared to swim or climb the indoor climbing wall together.

Many mothers take advantage of pushing a stroller around the indoor track on blustery days. I often observe parents working out in the cardio or weight lifting area with their older children. The act of exercising and taking kids with you innately teaches them the importance of such.

Likewise, kids learn eating habits from watching and eating with their parents. They acquire tastes in food by eating what is provided for them and based on to which foods they are exposed. If they start life

eating fat-, sugar- and salt-laden foods, that is what they will crave and view as normal eating. If they are harshly restricted to only healthy foods, chances are high that when they have control over their eating, they will gravitate to previously forbidden foods. There needs to be a balance. The bottom line is there isn?t any such thing as ?fixing? an overweight child without first fixing the parents. Most of the time, when there is an overweight child there also is an overweight parent and some unhealthy demonstrated lifestyles.

Because of my past, I have long been keenly aware of healthy habits in families. Those I admire most are the parents who engage in active fun with their kids right from the get-go. I love to see families

going on walks or bicycle rides together. When done as a family, camping, skiing, snowboarding, skating, bike riding, building a snowman, throwing a ball, shooting some hoops, you name it, promotes healthy living without saying a word. Kids love spending time with their parents and family if those experiences are done in the spirit of camaraderie, approval, acceptance, love and fun. Families that play this way together naturally develop healthy habits. After all, exercise can be classified as ?play? and provides great family bonding time when done correctly. And in the process, kids learn what activities they enjoy, so parents can help them develop those talents over the years ? promoting a continued, active lifestyle.

Cindy Stephens

suggests a healthy system for rewarding good behavior in kids is to give them additional play time outside, time engaging with parents in an activity or the possibility of taking a fun and active class at the recreation center. The staff at the Paul Derda Recreation Center works hard to provide fun fitness opportunities for all ages. Further, many times youth opportunities coincide with grown-up fitness opportunities, so families can exercise their own ways, but at the same times and at the same facility.

My input would be to focus on our kids? good points and strengths, and show them how to strengthen their weaknesses. Play with them, demonstrate healthy habits to them, love them, give them spoken approval and do it all in abundance.

Eliminating childhood obesity starts with correcting adult obesity and unhealthy lifestyles. Adults must first take good care of themselves, ?practice what is preached,? and for the most part, kids will follow them to good health and fitness.

Barbara Ploeger is the marketing specialist for Broomfield Recreation Services. E-mail her at bploeger@broomfield.org.

Article source: http://www.broomfieldenterprise.com/ci_20089964

Source: http://www.childrenhealthwizard.com/ploeger-healthy-kids-learn-habits-at-home

diaz vs condit super bowl 2012 kickoff time football score ron paul nevada buffalo chicken dip super bowl 2012 soul train