If you’re passionate about health and fitness and you’re working toward adopting a healthy lifestyle, chances are good that you want to share that with your closest loved ones. It’s especially important to pass on the knowledge you’ve gained to your children. In school, most of us weren’t taught any of the following how to properly fuel our bodies or the importance of working out. According to our San Jose personal trainers, if you want to raise healthy kids and give them a chance to live happy lives, you need to be proactive. Be their healthy role model. Here’s how:
Practice Nutrition Basics
Most of us already know what types of food to eat in order to stay fit and healthy. However, it is often difficult to get family members on-board. It won’t be easy at first, but if you take the following steps, it will help move them in the right direction.
Provide Healthy Snack Options
Kids learn to enjoy processed, sugary and salty snacks and treats, such as chips, candy, and pastries when they are introduced into their diets early on. If possible, avoid feeding these items to your children entirely, especially infants. If that ship has already sailed, make it a point to stop purchasing unhealthy treats for yourself and for the kids. Instead keep an abundant supply of fresh fruit and veggies available for snacking.
Pro tip: Cut them up and place them on the table, so they are ready and within reach when your kids get hungry. Fruit is nature’s candy. When given the option, kids will gobble them up quickly!
Help Them Make Good Choices
Many people think that their children are born with a hatred of fruits, vegetables and other healthy food items. The truth is that, given a choice between junk food and healthy treats, most kids will choose junk. Flip the switch so that healthy eating becomes a no-brainer.
- Reserve unhealthy snacks and fast-food for occasional treats. Schedule in a treat day once a week or once a month and write it on a calendar for the entire family to see. This will remind the kids of when they are coming up so they know they’ll be able to indulge.
- Take steps to make daily meals and snacks tasty and enjoyable. Research recipes that taste great for the entire family and get the kids involved in the preparation process. They’ll be excited to taste their own creations!
- Make sure your family sees you eating healthy foods. Practice what you preach. If you consistently set a good example of healthy eating, your family will follow suit.
Short on time? There are plenty of healthy yet tasty meals you can make quickly.
Get Active
Most young children don’t need any coercion to be active, but as they get older, they tend to be more sedentary. With our busy lives, it can be difficult to find a dedicated time to emphasize physical activity. Here are a few great options:
Hire a Personal Trainer
Exercise is one of the best ways to get yourself and your family in shape. Coming up with a program that will suit the needs of family members of varying ages isn’t easy though. A trainer can help you pick a plan that works for you while encouraging family members to get involved, such as:
- Individualized plans that you can take home, which include family exercise time.
- Tandem training sessions between you and your spouse that your kid can sit in on.
- One on one sessions with a San Jose personal trainer for your teenager, who will not only benefit from the education on how to strengthen his or her body, but will also have the opportunity to be mentored by a caring professional.
Make Exercise Fun
Exercise can be structured and fun at the same time. And, fun fact, it doesn’t always have to take place at the gym! You can also:
- Load the kids in the car to visit a park or go for a hike.
- Head to the backyard for a game of Frisbee or freeze tag.
- Crank up the music on your stereo system for a Saturday morning dance party!
You’ll know it’s exercise, but your kids won’t. And you’ll all have a ton of fun!
Commit to Breaking Bad Habits
Do you smoke? Drink too much? Overeat on a regular basis? Take steps now to kick these habits.
- Reduce drinking to low or moderate levels.
- Enroll in a program that can help you give up tobacco.
- Hire a nutrition coach that can help you manage your eating habits.
Don’t be the person that tells his or her kids “Do what I say, not what I do.” It doesn’t work that way. Children mimic what they see in the adults closest to them, regardless of what they are told. If you want to raise healthy kids, you MUST take action.
Raise Healthy Kids One Habit at A Time
If you want your family to become healthier and more fitness conscious, you have to take the first steps. It may take a little time, but when your children and your spouse see you adopting healthy habits and enjoying yourself, they will eventually follow your example. Don’t be afraid to seek the advice of professionals such as a San Jose personal trainer that can help you get off on the right foot to effect a change for yourself and your family. But most of all, aim to have fun!
Stronger for Today,
The Method3 Fitness Team
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