Family Fitness & Health

Being a parent is one of the most rewarding things us as humans get to experience. Shaping and developing a child to be a conductive member of society is no small tasking. Not only are you responsible for keeping them alive, you have a direct impact on the person they become. Their lifestyle choices will be ingrained in them based on how you demonstrate life. Children are a lot like sponges and often learn many behavioral habits from their parents or caregivers. So how do you implement desired positive health habits?

Introducing joyful movement & activity to them is a fantastic way to lead by example and develop lifelong health promoting behaviors and habits. These often will last with them for a lifetime and can help promote health along the way. Not to mention increase social connection with others. Increasing your daily movement by taking a walk to nearby locations, hoping on the bike around the neighborhood, or even signing up for a bowling league. Now when I speak of movement, this doesn't have to be in a gym or solely class based activities. I can't think of a better way to spend time with my family than spending it outdoors getting in movement. Metro-parks, zoo's, or even museums offer great space to increase activity while also engaging the mind.

Many times people come to me asking about specific diets or restrictive eating habits that they want to incorporate in their lives and if they should be doing the same for their children. Believe it or not, kids watch what, how, why, and even the manor in which you eat. Even at very young ages, if you are a picky eater your child will see the behavior and mimic. Offer a variety of foods, if they decline keep it up, it can take upwards of 30 times before a child may try a food. I like to encourage with positive reinforcement when my nieces or nephews try new foods. I praise them, reinforcing the behavior and also remind them that if they don't like it, they can simply spit it out. Once they know this and see you trying new foods, it becomes something fun- not forced. The best piece of advice I can give to caregivers or parents is to invite the kids into the kitchen! Dependent on their age, they can all be apart of the process. They can pick out produce or pantry items at the store, help put them away, clean, prepare (ensure they are of adequate age/ability to do so safely), cook, choose recipes they would like to try, etc to get them part of the process and help them get interested and develop cooking skills they will need later in life. Making small changes when it comes to nutrition is a great health promoting behavior that allows for memories to be made and for lifelong skills to be developed.

One of the most overlooked areas of health is sleep hygiene. I often warn my clients when they talk about skimping on sleep that, "Sleep is where the magic happens", and how important and detrimental it can be to not rest enough. Children esecpially need a great amount of sleep. Sticking to a routine can not only help keep everyone on a working schedule but it can keep your body in check for when to count those z's. A bedtime routine can play a huge role in preparation for sleep. Give you and your kids time to wind down, brush teeth, prepare for the morning, bathe, and get into bed. Following the same pattern each night at the same time will help your brain learn the routine quickly helping you fall asleep much faster.

Speaking of falling asleep, screentime is another great way to connect us to the world. But too much can actually keep us alert and prevent our brains from falling asleep. Avoid looking at screens an hour before bedtime and avoid eating meals with one in front of you. It can interfere with the social aspect of eating a meal together and can prevent you from listening to your internal fullness/hunger ques. It encourages your attention to savor foods and eat more intuitively. Your child can benefit from learning how to eat this way and it encourages more family quality face time.

This next tip is one that I struggle with, taking time to breathe and try to calm your mind. Practicing mindful breathing and encouraging the kids to partake with you can be another way to work on something together. This can be very beneficial especially in a stressful situation, stop what you are doing, close your eyes, take a deep breath, observe your feelings, and proceed with handling the situation. This is a great way to demonstrate patience, collectiveness, and being mindful in dealing with stress. Stress is inevitable and teaching your kids how to deal and cope with it will help better prepare them for situations in life.

All in all, kids are hard. BUT implementing good and positive health behaviors can really help develop them and prepare them for life. Setting an example and helping them by your behaviors is the greatest indicator of adaption. So walk the walk and be what you want them to become. No one does parenting "perfect", but being there is half the battle. Thanks for reading, let me know if you have any questions below.