NATIONAL EXERCISE WITH YOUR CHILD WEEK

-
National Exercise With Your Child Week (August 4-10) is observed the first full week of August! Good health should be a family affair. When you practice a healthy lifestyle, your children are more likely to follow. Starting young is the key to developing healthy fitness habits. Good exercise habits also give your child a head start for Physical Education in school, sports and other activities. Encouraging each other to stick with an exercise program also helps you stay fit. A healthy body is a key to a healthy mind.

Use #NationalExerciseWithYourChild in social media.

Tip 1: Get into the child mindset: Fitness as FUN instead of a chore!

If you have kids of your own, you know that they are ALWAYS on the move enjoy every minute they spend motoring around. Take a cue from your child’s mindset and start seeing fitness as fun instead of a chore. When was the last time you went to the playground? Enjoyed a game of tag? Played hop scotch? All of these activities count as exercise!

In addition to having unlimited energy, kids have an unlimited imagination. Tap into this and make up names for different exercises or even household chores (because why not get a little work done with your workout?) to make them more fun. Name moves after their favorite cartoon or story book characters or add the adjective “princess” to any idea and take the “work” out of your workout!
Tip 2: Friendly family fitness competitions

As long as you keep your fitness competitions friendly, they can be a great way to celebrate National Exercise with Your Child Week. Head out to the track to see who is the fastest in your family. Get a referee to see who can complete the most push-ups or jump rope the longest. Or simply go on a hike together and make the adventure into a scavenger hunt. Competition can greatly increase anyone’s motivation for movement.

Tip 3: The “World’s Cutest Workout Buddy” as your new accountability partner

Little ones can be great accountability partners. Whether you want them to help you exercise more or make sure you’re eating half a plate of veggies at each meal, get your kids on board and you’ll be surprised at how good they can be at this job! Even if your kids are too young to help remind you to get a move on, getting active and eating healthy now will help you be an amazing positive role model in the future.

Have a fur child? You’ve probably heard the saying that dogs are the world’s cheapest personal trainers. If the child you’re exercising with during National Exercise with Your Child week is a fur baby, you definitely have an accountability partner there! Try to up the time you spend on your walks or check out a new park to keep things fresh and fun.

Tip 4: Look for family fitness offerings around town

There are many great fitness options for families. Vermont is one great resource. Choose the mountains or the lake or look for toddler yoga, or other classes. Check your local library, community center, and parks for similar programs for your family. If you find something cool, don’t forget to share it!
Tip 5: Dance the night away

Whether you want to teach your kids to rock out to Aerosmith or enjoy some Wii Fit Zumba, dancing formally or informally is a great way to burn some calories while having fun.

If your children takes dance classes, why not ask them to teach you some of their moves? I bet they will be more than happy to do so!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Developing a Workout Routine

-
Image
Developing a routine when working out is important for achieving fitness goals and protecting your body from injury. Below are some tips and tools on developing the perfect workout routine. Use these tips to customize a workout routine that works for you! Tip 1: Consistency Building a strong fitness routine does not happen overnight. You must develop a process and work at it regularly. Decide how many days you are going to work out each week and commit to fitting it into your schedule. Tip 2: Recover Your muscles need time to recover to completely benefit from your physical efforts. When creating your routine, make sure there are days for rest! You do not have to remain completely inactive on recovery days. Long walks, light yoga and casual swimming are all things that get your body moving while still allowing time for your muscles to recoup. Tip 3: Variety Consistency is important when you are thinking about duration and frequency of exercise. Variety is import...
Read more

The "Unhealthy" Fruit

-
Image
We all know that a healthy diet consists of plenty of fruits and vegetables. You may not be aware, however, that choosing just any "fruit" may not be the best way to meet your fruit quota for the day. Below is a list of foods that you may want to limit or avoid: Fruity, sweet cereals. Fruity, colorful cereals that leave your milk pink, orange or blue are definitely void of nutrition. But what about the cereals that contain dried fruit? Sure, they may taste good, but most are also filled with added sugars and unneeded calories - even if they supposedly have real fruit flavors. Begin weaning yourself from the "fruity" cereals by chopping some real, fresh fruit into a bowl of healthy, non sugar-containing, cereal. Fruity Desserts. Strawberry ice cream. Raspberry cheesecake. Cherry Pie. Yum! We know they have fruit in the name, but it doesn't mean they're healthy for us. Opt for healthy fruit-based desserts such as fruit parfaits and fruit sorbet. If you mu...
Read more

Welcoa Well Balanced: How to Protect and Maintain Eye Health

-
Image
When it comes to eye health many adults mistakenly believe that as long as nothing is bothering their eyes, there’s no need to get them checked out. However, getting regular eye exams is very important, even if you think your vision is fine. Eye exams allow an eye care professional to monitor your eyes for common vision problems and signs of disease. There aren’t early warning signs for the most common eye diseases, so by identifying diseases early, you have the best treatment options and the best chance of preserving good vision. If you haven’t had an eye exam in more than a year or at all, schedule one now. A comprehensive exam will often include eye dilation. After checking your vision sharpness, your doctor will place drops in your eyes to dilate (widen) the dark center of your eyes, called the pupil. This allows more light into your eyes, just like opening a door lets light into a dark room. The doctor can then examine the inside of your eyes. Your eye doctor will tal...
Read more

Support Your Body, Mind, and Spirit this Season

-
Image
To balance out the dark, cold, windy, and dry qualities of winter, here are some tips to keep your body, mind, and spirit thriving: Move every day in a way that you enjoy; walk outside and get some winter sun, try yoga at home, swim at the local indoor pool, cycle, etc. Cook seasonal vegetables, make soups and stews, eat a warm breakfast like oats, and incorporate healthy oils like olive oil or ghee into your meals. Keep warm colors around you to combat the winter "blues". Orange, gold, deep reds, encourage a cozy feeling. Cover up with a hat and scarf not only keeps you warm but also provides a sense of safety and calm when it's cold and windy. Head to bed a little earlier and/or wake up a little later when the sun is rising if possible. Get extra rest and sleep as the environment is darker. Go within and practice meditation. Winter can be a good time to reflect on yourself. Try something new! Get creative and pick up a new hobby, book, puzzle, something that excites you...
Read more

How to Build a Low Cost Home Gym

-
Image
So many of us wish we could get more use out of our gym memberships, but with hectic lives and unpredictable schedules, it's not always so easy. If you find it too hard to get out of your house every day for a workout, why not bring the gym to you? Creating a gym in your home can save time and money -- there's no need to own the same heavy, expensive equipment found at a standard gym. You may be surprised at how easy it is to tailor a home gym to fit you personal needs. All you need are a few tangible pieces and a motivational vibe! Below are five necessities to start building your home gym. Atmosphere: Think about what you like most about the gym and figure out how to bring some of that atmosphere to your own space. If natural light is a must have for you, find a space upstairs with great windows to create the look you want. If you like to watch TV while you sweat, set up your gym in a room that has screen access. Need a little visual motivation? Try something simple like...
Read more

Stay on Top of Your Holiday Spending

-
Image
Spending money in a way that feels good means aligning your purchases with your values and priorities while staying within a budget. This approach lets you enjoy the holidays without the stress of debt or overspending. Choosing thoughtful, meaningful gifts, setting limits on each purchase, and focusing on experiences over material items can create a fulfilling holiday season without financial strain. Spend intentionally so that you feel good about what you buy, know that it's within your means, and brings joy to you and those you care about. Here are some ideas for staying on top of your holiday spending: Set a budget and track spending: Decide on a total holiday budget, covering gifts, food, decorations, and any travel expenses. Break down the budget for each category, then track each purchase to stay within your limits. Give personalized, low-cost gifts: Consider giving thoughtful personalized gifts that don't cost much, like handmade items, or baked goods. Meaningful gifts ...
Read more

Last call to log your points!

-
Image
  For all our friends participating in the Wellness Incentive Program through Virgin Pulse , we wanted to remind you that this quarter is short! All points must be logged by 12/1.  This quarter is short to allow time to pay out incentives during the calendar year.  During the month of December, you won't earn points. If you do choose to log activities because that is best for you that is fine, but we want to be sure you understand that this won't be working toward an incentive.  If you have any questions, please reach out to the Wellness team at dhr.livewellvermont@vermont.gov. 
Read more