How To Share Your Fitness Habit With Your Kids
Many parents struggle with maintaining a healthy lifestyle amid the chaos of raising children. Even more challenging can be passing on the habit of good health and fitness. The good news is that kids love to be active and try new things. Use this to your advantage to foster good fitness.
Take Them to the Gym with You
Many gyms and fitness centers have daycare facilities where you can have your children taken care of for an hour or two while you work out. Often this includes active play for them, on a playground or even their own aerobics class for kids. Check out what your gym membership entitles you to.
Additionally, your gym may allow you to bring your child with you if he or she is too young for day care, with some restrictions. You may have seen parents pushing strollers around the running track, or with their children in the pool or an aerobics class. Check what rules your gym has, but you may be surprised by what you can still do with a little one in tow.
Classes for Children
Many gyms and recreational centers offer great classes for children. There are a myriad of options, depending on your child's age and interests. From dance classes to karate, tumbling to swimming, find something active that your child can be excited about. If you're able to join them or practice with them between classes, even better! Learning a new hobby will help them see that fitness is fun.
Creative Activities at Home
Many parents use at-home workouts if they can't make it to the gym, and hope the little ones cooperate in the meantime. A great option can be including them in the workout. Let them join you in doing your workout video, or even better, design a workout of your own to do together. You can play the instructor, and do all kinds of silly and challenging exercises. Let them help come up with moves for the routine with you, and they'll feel even more like they are part of the fun.
Stay Positive
For so many people, fitness can be a drudgery that has to be done to maintain health. It can be tough to lace up those running shoes and get out the door! But don't let your children get a negative impression of being active. Talk to them about how great you feel after your morning run, or how excited you are to obtain your next fitness goal. It still may be hard work, but they'll learn that hard work can be fun too!
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