Family Fitness
While the children are still at an impressionable age, getting them moving everyday is more aha just good for their little growing bodies, but the stress management, even for children is a precious commodity in these times. Even something as simple as, a post dinner walk together or a short afternoon bike ride through the neighborhood will payoff in great physical and mental benefits for everyone. Starting off with less vigorous activities is a great introduction to exercise, especially for a family that has been otherwise not active. Keeping everyone moving and involved teaches us about sportsmanship, teamwork, physical fitness and health. Being outdoors is refreshing and the sunlight offers a great source of vitamin D and happiness.
Parents are role models for our kids, so making family fitness a fun priority sets a great precedent. Children will love whatever physical activity the family does together. Family fitness has a greater likelihood of becoming lifelong practice, with countless physical, cognitive, and social benefits. Use fun. active games, smart snacks, outdoor ventures and children sports to create healthy habits for your "home team.”
While playing sports activates both the mind to focus on the game and the body to participate in the game, the practice of yoga cultivates a unifying of the mind and body and cultivates kindness and empathy. It’s much more profound than merely cool looking poses you might be familiar with from TV, magazines, and social media. It involves a combination of specific postures (asanas) in relationship to regulated breathing techniques (pranayamas), with hand poses (mudras), and of course, meditation. Each particular body posture has been cultivated and fine-tuned over thousands of years to bring about specific effects in the human experience. Whether a pose is done standing, sitting, or lying down, each one can challenge various muscle groups and heighten self awareness, regardless of age or fitness level.
There are so many options available to parents for age-appropriate yoga classes (mostly online) so that the young yogis stay interested and consistent, gaining emotional/stress management tools, raise self-acceptance, and boost self-assurance. At the same time, a child becomes more aware of his or her body and how it moves, how it functions, how its cared for. Some yoga poses are harder than others, so even more athletic kids should start slowly.
The key is to find fitness activities that inspire you to keep moving. Change things up often to keep from falling into a rut and getting bored. Look for sports, exercises, and games that you can do together, separately, or both—whatever works for your family. And make sure you laugh and hug, a lot.
Be aware of how easy it is to fall prey to confidence-zappers like using exercise as punishment, offering food as a reward, or using scare tactics. For example, rather than saying, "If you watch too much TV, you'll get fat and sick," say something like, "Riding your bike helps make your legs and heart strong.”
For kids, being introduced to a healthy lifestyle early is a gift. They are so permeable when they are young and parents have such a high level of influence, so being active together is an opportunity to share concepts that will enhance their quality of life as they move toward adulthood. You’ll help them maintain a healthy weight, reduce stress and emotional tension that children otherwise don’t know how to express, develop focus, memory and work ethic, advocate harmony, longevity and wellness, amongst too many other things to list here. What a great time to enjoy the bonding that comes from sharing active play and delicious healthy family meals.
