Fresh Start Fitness

It’s no surprise that more adults and kids are facing overweight and obesity than ever before. 1 in 6 kids face obesity, which sets them up for long-term health risks like cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and cancer. Here are a few ways to set your family up for an active lifestyle.

Prove to them that the ‘real world’ is more enjoyable than screen time. Get outside, go camping, visit friends and family members, have a bonfire and make S’mores, play board games at the table, visit the library, read books, learn to make pizza, or play with animals at the animal shelter. Tech is cool and fun, we want it and we use it, but it doesn’t beat face-to-face interaction with people. A favorite quote from Laura Ingalls Wilder: “Some old-fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat.”

Set screen time limits for yourself and the kids. If I come home and tell the kids we are completely done with screens, it will result in a mutiny. Just like with adults, a massive overhaul is likely to met with resistance. Start with small habits: no screens at the table, phones kept in parents’ room at night, turn on screen time notifications and be aware of how often you’re on your device as well as your kids are on theirs.

Exercise together. Walks, hikes, bike rides, a workout on YouTube, a day trip to the gym to learn machines, a group exercise class, swimming at the pool, paddling in a canoe, rock climbing, training for a 5k, playing tennis, shooting hoops. The possibilities are endless!

Play youth sports. When I was a new parent I remember telling my husband that our son would never play travel sports. The cost, travel, and time commitments are obscene. Now I’ve gone completely the other way and I would pay anything to keep my kids playing on a team, making friends, moving their bodies, away from screens, and learning to receive criticism and correction from coaches.

Consider Gabb. A Gabb phone has been a great starter phone for our 13 year old since it doesn’t have a web browser. He is limited by what he can view and how much time he spends on his phone, while still allowing him the privilege of having a phone for communication.