Mar 29

Children’s Workout and Weight Loss

Guest Authors children, dance, exercise, fun, Hula Hoop, obese, overweight, Trampoline, walking, wii

By Debbi Miller Gutierrez

A recent study conducted by Ohio State-Temple University researchers found that 20% of America’s four-year olds are not only overweight, but obese. Though a great deal of this can be laid at the feet of poor diets, lack of exercise is also a prime culprit. Over the past few decades, more and more U.S. children and teens are drifting toward weight gain through a sedentary lifestyle. With many schools either reducing or eliminating their physical education programs due to impossibly tight budgets, parents are beginning to ask themselves: What can I do to get my child to exercise? Below are five simple suggestions:

1. Nifty Fifties’ Fad: The Hula Hoop

This inexpensive toy can get your children up and moving. Watch them wiggle and wriggle their hips trying to keep the hula hoop spinning. Set up daily or weekly goals as to the number of times they can spin the hoop without stopping or how many hula hoops they can spin at once. Reward them with gold stars, trips to the library, or one hour of TV a day. Better yet, challenge them to a contest. Children love to outdo their parents and will work hard to show you up.

2. Try a Trampoline

Investing in a child-safe trampoline can be well worth the money when you see your child rushing outside to fling themselves willy-nilly on their own trampoline. In no time at all, they’ll be bouncing back to health!

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3. Dance, Dance, Dance!

With the success of TV shows like “So You Think You Can Dance” and “Dancing with the Stars”, children can see first-hand what fun dancing can be. You don’t need to fly your kids all over the country for auditions. Just put on a CD and have them put on a dancing show for you. Or buy an inexpensive dance exercise video, or rent one from Netflix or On Demand, and away they go!

4. The Wonderful World of Wii

If your child is a video game addict, a Wii Fit might be just the ticket. With activities from snowboarding to cheerleading, your kids can be running, jumping, swinging bats, kicking, and punching their way to fitness. Even Jillian Michaels, the exercise guru from TV’s “The Biggest Loser”, has a Wii exercise game out that the whole family can use together.

5. Good Old Walking!

Walking is one of the best ways to get your child exercising. It’s free, natural, and helps families bond. Add your dog into the mix and everybody benefits.

Getting your children to exercise can have even more health benefits than weight management, stress reduction, good muscle development, and mental stimulation; it just might get their parents off the couch too!

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