How to Be Your Family’s Fitness Role Model

If you’ve been following along with our school blog this May, you know we’ve been sharing tips and tricks to get your children moving, in honor of National Physical Fitness Month.

But sometimes, encouraging your children to go play outside, learn a new sport or get walking isn’t enough. As parents, it’s our job to serve as more than an encouraging voice on the sidelines: we need to be fitness role models!

So this week, we’re sharing some great tips to help parents become more active themselves, and inspire their children and their entire families to join them!

1) Begin building exercise habits early.

While it’s important for children to get exercise through play, whether backyard games or organized sports, it’s a common trap to think that this form of exercise is enough. In order to start building healthy habits that will last a lifetime, children need to be taught the importance of exercising, and be taught ways that they can exercise alone.

As they get older, they may not have a soccer team to play on, but they’ll always have access to road or trail on which they can run, walk bike or skate. So instead of heading out for your morning or pre-dinner jog solo, invite your children to come along! Push the littlest in a stroller, or ask them to ride on their bikes along side you.

2) Find fitness opportunities in daily life.

While it is important to get children exercising, it’s also important to show them that exercise doesn’t have to be hard- they are opportunities to build fitness in their every day lives.

Start walking to the local playground or park, walk to school if you live close enough, and bike to the local ice cream shop if you’re looking for a summertime treat. Instead of waiting for the elevator, take the stairs. Talk to your children about these choices, and let them know how much you care about having a healthy lifestyle and how you feel when you are active.

3) Take some time for yourself.

This one may seem counterproductive, but it’s not. As much as parents are encouraged to exercise with their families, it’s also important to take some time to take care of yourself as best you can.

Let your children see you prioritize your health and fitness. Let them see you take an extra 10 minutes to make a quick meal for your next road trip, instead of stopping for fast food. Let them see you wake up early to squeeze a workout on the weekends.

And most importantly, talk about why you are doing these things. Let your children know why you choose to make your health- and theirs- a priority, and they’re more likely to maintain their healthy habits into adulthood.

Do any of our parents have some tips of their own to becoming a healthy role model? Please share them in the comment section of this post!

 

How to Help Teens Be More Active

It’s easy enough to get young children outside playing: offer to play hide-and-seek, entice them with a game of tag, or simply bring them to the playground and they’re ready to run.

But what do you do when it comes to getting teenagers to move more? That’s a scenario that can be harder to navigate.

In honor of National Physical Fitness Month, we’re collecting some great tips and tricks to help all our students #MoveInMay. In today’s post, we’ll explore great resources from around the web to encourage teens to be more active.

Read on for some great ideas!

1. Make screen time count.

Teenagers today are rarely found without some form of technology, whether it be a smart phone, tablet, computer or iPod. But the time your teen spends in front of a screen does not need to be inactive.

In addition to setting screen time limits, try incorporating some exercise into your child’s use of technology.

See who can do the most push-ups, squats or crunches during commercial breaks, or search the web for exercise programs that go along with your favorite shows. Love “Modern Family,” for example? Try doing 10 push-ups anytime Phil hurts himself, 20 crunches when Alex talks about school work, and 15 squats anytime Claire nags Phil.

And don’t forget to be a role model! Even if your teen is isn’t interested in adding exercise into screen time, they’ll notice if you do. So get down on the floor, do some push-ups, and it’s likely they’ll join you.

2. Set a good example.

Being a good fitness role model is important for more than just incorporating exercise into technology use. If your child sees you get up early each morning for a run, or head out for a walk after dinner, they’ll be more likely to do the same.

Start inviting them with you on these outings, or for a game of tennis or bike ride, and you’ll not only help them be more active, you’ll create more opportunities to chat and connect as well.

3.  Encourage the use of public transportation.

Living in Boston, there are many opportunities to use public transportation to get your teen where they need to go. So give your car a rest and tell them to take the T or bus the next time they want to head downtown or visit a friend.

While part of their trip won’t be active, they’ll have to walk to the station, to change train lines and to their destination. And though they might protest at first, getting places on their own will soon become a habit, and they’ll likely grow to enjoy the independence.

Good luck getting your teens to be more active! Have any tips of your own? Please share them with us!