One of my clients asked me:
I would do anything to ensure my young children don’t suffer from obesity like I have. However, I don’t know what is the right thing to do when it comes to exercise.
Can you help me and give me some tips?
Active parents are more likely to have active children, so you are the key figure here.
Children tend to do as you do rather than as you say. So the best example you can set is to get involved in different activities and let them see you are enjoying it!
Create a supportive environment and show them the attitude you have towards exercise. For example replace the negative thoughts into positive ones like:
Negative thought: Oh shit! the elevator is not working, we have to use the stairs!
Positive thoughts: Great! We can take the stairs now!
Remember that how children experience exercise at an early ages, influences their involvement as adults.
Key tips:
– Think in a positive way not in a lazy way, like in the example I mentionned above.
– Let exercise be fun, make it appeal for them. Let it be a reward not a punishment.
– Encourage gradual change, and let them do it slowly slowly. If they don’t feel like joining you in the activities, it’s fine. Next time they will do it.
– Encourage the whole family to be active by doing things together.
– Walk and talk. Let your children walk with you and talk to them so they don’t get bored. It also increases the bond between you both
– Restrict televisions and computers from their bedroom. Children stay hours and hours on the net or waching TV, and this will cause laziness.
– let your children take part in school activities, like baskeball, tennis, skiing, ballets. Usually in the afternoon after classes.
– Set some specific timing for them to watch cartoons or play playstation, and let this time be usually after school activities and after the homeworks.
You are the role model of your chidren!
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