Childhood obesity has been given a lot of national attention in the last few years thanks to Michelle Obama, the Let’s Move campaign and many organizations raising awareness and providing resources for reversing the trend. Among many factors, a lack of physical activity in the lifestyles of kids today is one of the most prominent causes of childhood obesity. Join us in today’s episode of NCES TV as we share how to get kids up and moving.
There’s no denying the fact that exercising as a family is the key to raising children that understand the importance of physical activity. However, many families still struggle with how to pull it off. So, many families seek the help of professionals. When they come to you, of course you can design a fitness plan that will work for an individual client. But, where do you start when you’re helping a family design a fitness plan that will work for all of them?
Be sure that you include all of the family members. Discuss activities that everyone enjoys doing and be sure to let the children help decide on some of the exercises and activities that are included on the exercise plan. Giving the kids ownership in the program will help keep their interest and build their confidence in what they’re doing. Be sure to make it fun too. Although exercising is meant to increase your heart rate, it doesn’t have to be work all the time. Including fun, and even competitive games, will keep it interesting too.
Scheduling is also an important part of the equation when you’re helping an entire family plan their exercise schedule. Between Dad’s board meeting, Mom’s conference call and the kid’s basketball games and choir concerts, scheduling for a family is a nightmare. Work with your family to identify times that work for everyone. Then, help them create a calendar so that everyone knows exactly when to expect their family workout.
Planning an exercise plan for a family doesn’t differ that much for planning an individual schedule. However, there are certain elements that need to be included to make sure everyone is enjoying themselves and learning that exercise is an important & FUN part of everyday life… not just another chore.
How do you help motivate children to exercise? We’d love to hear your ideas. Please share them here in the comments or on our Facebook. We love hearing from you!
If you’re looking for tools that make exercising at home easier, be sure to check out the NCES Exercise section before you go!
It’s hard to believe, but March is coming to an end! Another National Nutrition Month is wrapping up. But, as usual, that doesn’t mean that all the lessons learned this month should be pushed aside and forgotten. This year, you learned how to “Get Your Plate in Shape”. Our plates are a big part of our daily lives. For most of us, we sit down to a plate of food an average of three times per day. For those with hectic schedules, it may be less. And, for those that focus on 5-6 well-balanced meals, it’s even more. So, it’s easy to see why learning to get our plates in shape is vital to our everyday success.
Here at NCES, we like to provide tools that make staying healthy easier for you. So, here are a few takeaway lessons to remember, even after National Nutrition Month comes to an end.
Getting your plate in shape will require some effort on your part. You’ll have to remember to make conscious decisions about the foods you are filling your plate with. However, it only takes 21 days to form a habit. So, if you set some goals and push yourself to achieve them for 21 days, in just three weeks, it will be a habit.
In need of a kickstart? NCES offers extremely useful Right-Sized Portion Plate for both Adults and Kids. Also, fresh off the press are our new MyPlacemats for Kids. They come in sets of 50. So, they are great for taking to restaurants, as well as the houses of family & friends so your kids can think healthy while they are enjoying their meals. Be sure to check these great tools out today!
What did you learn during National Nutrition Month 2012? Did you make any commitments to yourself? How did it go, were you able to keep your commitments? Leave your comments here on the blog, or visit our Facebook or Twitter pages.
Okay, as the summer heat really settles in, it gets harder and harder to get outside. Not to mention, there are many safety concerns for both you and your children when it is too hot. The last thing you want is for the kids to get in the habit of watching movies or playing video games all day. So, what do you do? You find fun, interactive ways to entertain the whole family. Since helping your family stay active is what we do, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite things to do when we’re stuck inside. Here it is!
Play Twister: A game like Twister provides the structure of a board game. But, it gets everyone moving and stretching. It’s not only important to get active. It’s also important to stretch your muscles and keep them moving. You’re entire body will feel better!
Clean the house: I know this probably won’t sound that appealing to your kids. But, there are ways to make it fun. First, make sure that the entire family gets involved. Then, turn on some active music and have everyone show off their best dance moves while they sweep, dust and scrub the bathroom. You never know, it could become one of your favorite family traditions.
Find a fun kids workout DVD: We’re all familiar with Jane Fonda tapes and Tae-Bo. But, now we have fun DVD’s that have been made just for kids. These DVD’s will get your kids moving and burning calories. All while they are having fun! Here are a couple to get you started.
1) Up, Down and All Around 2) Yoga for Kids
Let the whole family cook dinner: This one isn’t as much about being active as it is about engaging your little one’s brains and teaching them about nutrition. Getting them in the kitchen gets them away from the TV and gives you a great opportunity to teach them all about the food groups, healthy foods and how to build healthy meals.
These are just a few of our favorites. But, there really are a lot of ways that your family can stay active in the heat of the summer. If you need some more ideas, be sure to check out our website at www.ncescatalog.com or visit us on Facebook. Plus, you can always give us a call (800 NCES BOOKS) or chat live with our dietitian.
The month of May is National Physical Fitness Month. So, to recognize this, we thought that we might give you some tips on easy methods of working out, that won’t take a bite out of your daily schedule.
Current physical activity guidelines state that 150 minutes of physical activity a week is required to keep you fit and healthy. To put it plainly, a half an hour for five days out of the week, while paired with a healthy diet, is usually enough to keep you away from becoming overweight.
Fitness and physical activity are important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and it doesn’t always have to get in the way of your everyday life. By separating those workout periods into ten minutes, or even five minute blocks, you can spread out your physical activity enough to make the time easy to find.
But, fitness doesn’t happen overnight, and more than one of us have made a New Year’s resolution, only to watch it fade away within a month or two. Taking things gradually can help maintain a healthy lifestyle, and one way to partition your fitness into manageable chunks, is to set goals.
A few tips to follow when setting goals for yourself:
These tips and more, along with short, easy-to-do exercises can be found in the book, “Fit In 5” by Greg Whyte. This book, and many more can be found at www.ncescatalog.com and in our catalog.
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