University of FloridaSolutions for Your Life

Download PDF
Publication #FCS8892

 

Raising Healthy Children: Family Fitness1

Lisa D. Chan and Karla P. Shelnutt2

The Obesity Epidemic

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 17% of children in the United States are obese. This number is rising and is a concern for many parents. Childhood obesity can lead to serious future health problems including diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer. One of the main reasons many children become overweight is because they are not active enough. Television, video games, and computer games (known all together as screen time) take up too much of our children's daily lives, leaving little time for active play.

Physical Activity Can Enrich Your Life

Does being active really make a difference? Yes! Physical activity can provide many health benefits for you and your family. It's something everyone should do every day. Being physically active can improve your overall health, help the whole family manage their weight, and it's a great way to spend time with your family.

Benefits for Children

Regular physical activity can help children be healthier now and in the future. Daily activity can help your child maintain a healthy body weight and reduce their risk of developing diseases associated with obesity now and in the future.

Children who are physically active have more energy, a better attitude, and stronger muscles and bones than less active children. Activity also sends more blood to the brain, giving it oxygen and nutrients vital for brain function, which can help them in school. Plus, being involved in physical activity helps promote positive self-esteem and self-image in young children. The better they get at an activity, the better they'll feel.

Benefits for Adults

Physical activity is valuable for adults as well as children. Adults who exercise decrease their risk for developing diseases associated with aging such as dementia, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis.

Besides lowering disease risk, exercise will give parents more energy. Having more energy means more motivation to play with your children! Plus, with your new-found energy, you can spend some time fixing healthy meals at home.

Physical activity has other benefits for adults. It can increase strength, balance, and flexibility, all of which impact overall health and quality of life. Exercise also can help busy parents cope with stress in a healthy way.

Make Family Time Healthy & Fun

There are many activities you can do as a family to increase everyone's activity level and have fun! Try some of these games with your family or ask your kids for their ideas.

  • Tag—this game is an old favorite people of every age can enjoy!

  • Take your kids to the park and chase them around the playground. The laughter will surely give your core a workout!

  • Play music your family enjoys and dance around the house. You can make a game out of it by pausing the music and freezing, or playing musical chairs!

  • Kid workout videos can be fun and can get you and your child moving!

  • Head out on a family bike ride. Kids can also rollerblade or skateboard!

  • Join a gym or recreation center that provides exercise classes for parents and kids together.

  • Head to the local park and bring a variety of athletic gear: basketballs, soccer balls, and a bat and baseball, just to name a few.

  • If your child is still young, put him or her in a baby carrier or stroller and go for a walk.

  • If your child is part of a sports team, make time to practice a little bit with him every day.

Add Activity Everywhere

Even when you don't have time for planned physical activity, there are ways you can work physical activity into your day.

  • At the grocery store, park far away from the front of the store so you get to take a little walk.

  • Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Your kids can pretend they are hiking up a big mountain!

  • When the kids are watching a TV show, have them get up during commercial breaks and do jumping jacks to get their heart rate up.

  • When you are getting your children ready for school in the morning, turn on some music and dance around the living room.

  • Set up a special section in your garden for your child. When you are out on Saturday morning working in the yard, your child can join you instead of watching Saturday morning cartoons.

Be a Positive Role Model

As a parent it is important that you model positive behavior for your children. Children are affected by TV, peers, and magazines, so it is essential that you set good examples for them at home. You can have a big impact in their life and on the choices they make.

Daily activity is important to your child's health. Showing children that physical activity is something that you value may make it important to them. If you make an effort to exercise every day, your children will notice. If you watch TV for hours each day, your kids will take note. Be a good role model. Encourage your children to establish habits that will get them moving and keep them active.

More than Just Fitness

Physical activity will improve the health of your family, but it has other benefits as well. Doing physical activity as a family allows you to spend quality time with your children doing something that benefits you both. Family fitness time offers health benefits and strong family ties. Enjoy spending this valuable time with your family!

Recommended Websites

MyPyramid.gov – This website by the U.S. Department of Agriculture explains the MyPyramid food guide and how to use its concepts in everyday life. MyPyramid for Kids is a special section specific to children's needs. It includes games and coloring sheets to help kids learn. http://www.mypyramid.gov

Disney Family Fun – This site gives parents extensive ideas for crafts, recipes, games, holiday activities and more. http://familyfun.go.com/

Footnotes

1.

This document is FCS8892, one of a series of the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date January 2010. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.

Lisa D. Chan, dietetic intern, Master of Science Dietetic Internship Program, Food Science and Human Nutrition Department; Karla P. Shelnutt, PhD, RD, assistant professor, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences; University of Florida; Gainesville 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, Dean.