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* Find a My Gym for kids near your home now!
Monday, September 01, 2008
Incorporating exercise in our children's lives should be a daily event. When thinking fitness for your children you should keep in mind three key principles. These principles include endurance, strength and flexibility. When a child plays tag and runs from the child who is "it", they are building endurance.
Sports that offer running or jogging such as basketball and soccer are great for endurance. A child who can make their way across the monkey bars shows strength. Climbing, handstands and wrestling build strength. Flexibility can prevent injuries. Yoga or activities such as practicing the splits build flexibility.
There are a number of fitness classes that offer kid friendly exercises. Dance, gymnastics and swimming are great activities that offer all three principles of fitness. Keeping these three activities in mind when you are choosing suitable fitness activities for your kids will ensure that they are getting a balanced exercise in their lives.
Along with these fitness principles, the addition of a healthy and balanced diet is key to over all fitness. For tips and guidelines you can view the newly update food guide pyramid online. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains will keep a child's energy levels up and a body in healthy shape.
You can even allow your kids to help choose and prepare healthy recipes. Smoothies and fruit salads are fun to eat and tasty to. Choose some fitness activities that you and your children can do together. Horseback riding, rock climbing and hiking are all good for you and family friendly. You will be helping your kids to build healthy lives and taking care of your own health as well.Labels: activities, childrens, fitness, fitness classes, gym, kids, nutrition
Monday, August 04, 2008
There is no other demographic as heavily marketed to as children and young teens. At the same time, there is no group whose caloric intake is as closely monitored at the same time. Combining these two truisms, it is somewhat surprising to see so many children being grossly overweight.
Yet nutritious meals and healthy eating for kids requires parental involvement and when parents are willing to abdicate their power of choice to the latest fad on television or simply succumb to the Siren song of the fast food industry, obesity in childhood is a logical phenomenon.
Nutritious meals and healthy eating for kids is not a goal that requires a Herculean effort, but there are some tips parents should follow to make it easier on them and their kids. For example, while fresh fruit is the best choice, the washing, peeling and cutting are sometimes considered a hassle.
Fortunately, several manufacturers now offer prepackaged fruits and also veggies that have been washed, cut, and cleaned to be edible straight from the package. Although a bit more expensive than their natural counterparts, they are nonetheless a great way for kids to eat their fruits and veggies and for harried parents the time savers needed.
Nutritional meals and healthy eating for kids requires parental involvement also because in some cases children are not aware of some choices they might have. While it is easy to opt for a bag of cookies, when introduced to snack sized cracker and cheese portions which are nutritionally much more sound than cookies could ever be kids may decide to opt for those foods instead. Yet unless a child is introduced to these choices by a parent, she or he will not know that they are indeed available options!Labels: childrens, exercise, fitness, gymnasium, gymnastics, nutrition, obesity
Saturday, July 26, 2008
While there is no shortage of outside activities for kids of all ages, outside activities for kids who prefer the indoors are harder to come by. As a matter of fact, sometimes it is almost next to impossible to persuade a child to leave the comfort of the sofa behind for the relative firmness of the grass the lawn has to offer. Outside activities for kids who prefer the indoors are sometimes a bit tricky to find, but with just a smidgen of parental finesse, even confirmed couch potatoes might find something they like to do outside.
The trick to finding outside activities for kids who prefer the indoors is to start them off slowly and deliberately. As such, it is inconceivable to ask a bookworm to go out and run a 100 meter dash. Instead, why not incorporate the child's love for reading by allowing him to float on the little blowup raft in the backyard pool while reading. Before long, the child will get hot and then is a good time to suggest some swimming.
In the same vein, the child enamored with video games may enjoy the idea of going outside and learning how to play with a paintball set, a game that incorporates many of the activities she thus far has only engaged in with the game console controller. By finding such outdoor activities for kids who prefer the indoors, the transition is gradual and pleasurable and most likely lasting. Since it is not stressful, the child is sure not to argue too much, as well.Labels: activities, children, childrens, fitness, fun, kids, nutrition
Monday, July 21, 2008
The allure of fast food rests in the fact that with just a quick order, a parent can have a meal to go that includes the much beloved French fries and of course the hamburger that is so quintessentially one of the mainstays of a meal.
Unfortunately, these foods are laden with fat, salt and empty calories and they do more harm than good when it comes to offering sound nutritional choices to children. When fast food threatens nutritious meals and healthy eating for kids, parents must step in and find new options.
Ideally the fast food restaurant would be banned from the list of acceptable purveyors of food, but in the absence of wanting to take that step, nutritious meals and healthy eating for kids can still be a possibility.
Negotiate with the child by permitting the fries if the drink is milk instead of soda. Conversely, nix the fries but permit the soda if the side dish is made up of carrots or celery stalks. Although perhaps not an easy sell, it is possible with just a bit of training.
When fast food threatens nutritious meals and healthy eating for kids, parents will find themselves in the negotiator position-something that fast food restaurants have begun to understand and in some cases also embrace.
To this end they now offer healthy food choices, realizing that while kids might drive the decision making process, it is the parental dollar that closes the deal, and with childhood obesity on the rise, these dollars are not that quickly parted with any longer.Labels: children, childrens, fitness, healthy nutrition, kids, nutrition
Saturday, July 05, 2008
When it comes to making meals for your kids that are healthy and nutritious additions to kids fitness you can find hundreds of recipes online.
Each recipe is kid friendly and often quick and simple to prepare. Here are ten nutritious meal ideas for active kids fitness.
1.Wraps. Placing veggies and healthy meats in a tortilla is all the rage and kids love them.
2.Oven baked chicken nuggets. Cut up come chicken and dip them in a low fat milk and flour batter. Bake in the oven and wow your kid's taste buds.
3.Grilled cheese and tomato soup can be a power lunch. Use whole wheat bread and low fat cheese alongside a low sodium soup for a slam-dunk lunch.
4.Whole-wheat pastas can be whipped up in a matter of minutes and tomato-based sauces are full of vitamins for healthy kids.
5.Veggie pizza can be a healthy favorite when you pack it full of spinach and low fat cheese, peppers and more.
6.Smoothies mad of low fat milk or yogurt and fresh fruits can make a quick breakfast that puts your super star on the right foot in the morning.
7.Fruit salad can be a pick me up snack or anytime side that is sure to please.
8.A grilled chicken salad with honey mustard dressing will create a buzz of energy for your child.
9.Fish tacos are a light and tasty twist on traditional tacos.
10.Soups are a sneaky way to get a picky eater to enjoy veggies and rice.
There are numerous recipes that assist you in getting your child to eat healthier more nutritious meals that are sure to provide your active child with the energy for all of their favorite activities.Labels: childrens, fitness, kids, nutrition
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