Exercise Tips to Prevent Childhood Obesity

Children are born with naturally high energy levels but cramped urban areas, TV's, VCR's and computer games can turn an active child into a sloth if parents do not go out of their way to do something about it.

Physical inactivity is a major factor in the rising levels of childhood obesity, according to experts. Children are not burning the calories that they should to make up for the increased caloric intake from commercial high-calorie, high-fat foods. The result is unnecessary pounds that make the child even more sluggish. A vicious cycle then begins. The heavier the child becomes, the more they don't want to exercise, the more they don't want to exercise, they heavier they become. Obese children also have to endure teasing from friends and family. Oftentimes, this makes them overeat some more.

Parents have a responsibility to provide the right environment for their child to grow up healthy. Providing opportunity for physical activity is part of that responsibility. Parents have to make a conscious effort to do this because life today is different from life a few decades ago. Children no longer walk to school. They are more likely to play computerized basketball as they are to actually dribble a ball.

I hope these exercise tips will help you prevent your child from becoming overweight or help your already overweight child lose weight safely. The word "exercise" as used in this article does not necessarily mean going to the gym or doing calisthenics. I am using it in the generic sense to mean any kind of physical activity that promotes fitness.

Keep in mind, of course, that sensible eating habits are part of the answer to maintaining a child's healthy weight. No amount of exercise can make up for poor nutrition.

How much exercise is needed?
The recommend amount of daily physical activity for pre-adolescent children is thirty to sixty minutes broken into ten or fifteen minute segments. Some experts have suggested that if schools could be convinced to give children fifteen minutes of exercise in the morning and another fifteen minutes in the afternoon, fewer children would be overweight.

Be a role model.
This is always the first requirement because it is hypocritical to force a child to exercise when you yourself are a couch potato. Children see right through this. Many child weight loss experts say that the most difficult part of their work is to convince the parents to make changes in their own lifestyles to set an example for their children.

Make fitness a family affair.
Young children want to spend time with their parents. Older children and teenagers prefer the company of their friends. You can use both stages of development to your advantage. While kids are still young, make fitness a family affair. Go biking with them. Take them swimming, etc. When they are teenagers, invite the "gang" to join in the fitness outing.

Schedule regular "workouts" for young children.
"Barney" and "Sesame Street" can be educational but too much TV is detrimental to your child's health. Schedule regular sessions of playtime where the child is encouraged to be physically active by riding a tricycle, pushing a toy baby carriage, rolling balls, etc. Some parents enroll their children in specialized "gyms for kids". If you have the money and it is convenient for you, these establishments provide a fun and safe way for kids to keep fit.

Let the child set the pace.
Don't expect children to exercise the way adults do. If you observe children playing in the park, you will find that they practice "interval training". In other words, it is natural for a child to run around for a few minutes, then stop to inspect a beetle for another few minutes, climb the 'jungle gym' for the next couple of minutes, stop again to look at the clouds, etc. If you invite a child to walk with you for thirty minutes, don't be surprised if they stop every now and then to "smell the flowers". Let the child set the pace. Turn the walk into an interesting science or nature trip and the child will be more willing to go with you again.

The right way to encourage sports.
Sports are a good way to get kids interested in physical activity. However, not all kids are athletically inclined. Forcing an athletically challenged child to join a team can be traumatic. Obese children, in particular, are less likely to want to join any type of competitive activity because they do not have the necessary skills or they fatigue easily. A good way to introduce sports to overweight children is to enroll them in a sports clinic or get them a sports pro who will first teach them the basic athletic skills and slowly build up their strength and stamina at the same time.

Motivating teenagers.
Telling a teenager that exercise will prolong their life or improve their health will probably not motivate them since adolescents can't even imagine what they will be like as adults. They are interested in looking good but this is a two-edged sword as a motivational tool. An obsession with physical appearance can lead to eating disorders and exercise addiction or even experimenting with drugs like shabu to control appetite. Teenagers are highly influenced by peer pressure so your teenager will be more motivated to exercise if his or her "barkada" are doing it too. Get together with the parents of your teenager's friends and organize exercise activities.

Take advantage of summer.
Summer is a great time to encourage fun exercise activities. Children cannot realistically continue summer exercise activities when school starts but if the child learns to enjoy physical activity they are more prone to become active adults.

Send the right message about exercise.
What about those kids who are anti-exercise in spite of both parents being fitness buffs? The parents might be sending the wrong message. If you keep talking about how you "force" yourself to exercise or how you have to pay for overeating last night with an extra 30 minutes in the gym, don't wonder why your child is less than enthusiastic about exercising. Children of highly competitive sports enthusiasts can be intimidated because of fear of living up to their parent's expectations if the parents place a high premium on winning at any cost.

Be creative.
You don't have to use the word 'exercise'. One creative mother gave her child the responsibility of walking the family dog every afternoon. She paid him a small amount for this chore. Not once did she mention to her child that he needed to do this to lose weight. A couple of months later, the mother happily reported to me that her child, the dog (who was also overweight!), and the 'yaya' assigned to go with him had all become fitter and leaner.

Exercise should be fun.
Most importantly, keep it fun! The minute a child senses that you are forcing him to do an activity because "it is good for him or her", you will have a mini-rebellion on your hands. Exercise should not be punishment for overeating. Exercise is fun. Ask any kid why they love to go to the park and play with the swings and seesaws and they will tell you "because it is fun". The human body was meant to move and there is a sense of wellbeing after exercise. Unfortunately, we lose touch with this innate wisdom when we become slugs whose major form of physical activity is to change channels on the remote control.

Continue reading here: How to Buy Fitness Equipment on TV - Part Two

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