Health And Physical Fitness: Are You Kidding Yourself About Your Child's Health And Physical Fitness

I'm not surprised so many kids today are unfit. Todays parents do not realizing the importance of child's health and physical fitness. There are a lot of incentives for them to stay indoors. When I was young we would get home from school and after tea, for much of the year we would be off outside to play untill it got dark. Now, thanks to a combination of  feeling it is unsafe to let kids out alone, and the lure of computer games and TV, it seems more attractive to stay in.

Yet parents are fooling themselves about how much exercise their kids get.  A study by the British Heart Foundation found three quarters of parents thought their children were active enough but it turned out only one in 10 kids did the recommended hour of daily activity to improve health and physical fitness.

This is setting them up for a lifetime of weight and health problems.  As parents we need to be honest with ourselves about whether our kids are as fit as they should be, then do something about it.

Some children are not as sporty as others and should not be pushed into it.  It is far bettter to spend time trying different activities with your children to see what motivates them.

If them are into nature, got them for a walk around a local farm or zoo.  Set a time limit on how long they sit in front of the TV or computer. One hour a day is plenty until age 10, moving towards two hours as they hit their teens.  Once screen time is over, encourage them to paly outside or take them for a walk.

If your kids are moderately active, ie., are doing some exercise but you need to find ways to include more in their day if want them to stay slim and healthy.  Reseach shows good habits made now last a life time.

If always ferry your kids to school or drive every where at weekends, think about leaving the car at home.
As long as it is not far, walking or cycling benefits you both and saves money.

Encourage them to join just one after school club if they don't belong to any so, rather than flopping in front of the TV, they can have fun with friends, playing football, tennis or swimming.

If you have superfit kids, your familiy are really active and enjoy the fun and extra energy that goes with this life style. You set a good example by keeping fit.

Keep up the good work, but make sure they get down time at home too, as kids need to learn to relax and do nothing from time to time. And the odd pizza or chocolate bar won't hurt as long as they are eating well most of the time.

Conclusion: As parents we need to be honest with ourselves about whether our kids are as fit as they should be and do something about it. We should strive for good health and physical fitness for our children.