| Help your children to be active |
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It’s in the news, we are all talking about it but are there any
concrete actions being taken to tackle childhood obesity? We spoke to
Nicky Kay, 32, mother to Ellie, four and Lauren, two and managing
director of FitKid, a franchise fitness session company aimed at
children up to the age of 16 years to find out what we can all do as
parents to address this situation.
Nicky says: “Our lifestyles have changed dramatically over the years and it is important that our routines are adjusted to ensure we find time for both ourselves and our children to participate in regular physical activity. During the stages of child development it is important that children participate in activities which help them to grow and develop and reduce the risk of injury. I believe that the key to success is to motivate and inspire children to be fit and healthy. “The general consensus is that childhood obesity is down to the poor diets and the proliferation of fast food outlets with meal deals aimed squarely at youngsters. It may be true that these facilities have increased but we as parents still have choices and we need to ensure that we encourage our children to eat a balanced diet. Always try to make eating fruit and vegetables fun. “I recently played the alphabet game with Ellie, who refuses to eat her peas. But, I addressed this situation by coming up with a fun alphabet game and for each pea Ellie ate, I said a letter from the alphabet. After going through the alphabet twice and 52 peas later, the both of us were in fits of laughter and happy. “It is also important for parents to understand that a child’s body stores unused energy as body fat. To enable children to maintain a healthy weight, they need to use the energy from the food they eat. If children eat more than they use, their body will store the extra energy as fat. “Did you know that children who regularly exercise can benefit extensively from • Increased cardiovascular fitness • Healthy weight • Improved posture • Reduced blood cholesterol • Better sleep - always important for Children and mums and dad !!!! • Boosted self-esteem and confidence • Improved concentration – Important for your child’s study • Reduced stress, depression and anxiety • Enhanced social skills • Moderate exercise increases bone density and mineralization • Moderate exercise stimulates bone growth. • Exercising helps to prevent future bone structural problems e.g. osteoporosis. • Remember, growth and increased bone strength can continue until you are 25 when this process will be complete. After this happens there can be no more growth - the bones are as big as they will ever be.” Nicky’s Hints and Tips to get active with your Children 1) Visit local clubs and activities. Ask for a trial session to see if your child enjoys the activity. Make sure you offer your child a variety so they can choose the activity they enjoy. This is a great first step as if they enjoy it they will want to participate. 2) Make time at the weekend to go out as a family to the local park or sports field, take some bats and balls and have some fun. 3) Walk or ride to nursery/school. Talk to other children on the way to make new friends. If you have to drive park two roads away and walk the rest of the journey to school. During the walk play games such as; eye spy; count the cars – how many red, blue, green etc…; how many lamp posts can you touch on the way; how many jumps can you do before you feel out of breath; choose a colour before you leave home and count how many things can you see with that colour on the way; try moving in different ways (ensuring at all times it is safe to do so). 4) Allow and encourage your children to play with “messy” materials such as paint, water, sand and clay as this requires imagination and creativity. You both can get stuck in. This may not seem active but is great for building their skills to play sport. 5) Remember children learn from their parents. Lead by example. Get up and get active. 6) Have items available at home where they can get active inside, for example, a mini exercise trampoline which are great as most of them have collapsible legs for easy storage. 7) Encourage unstructured play when out and about or at home ; fly a kite in the park or at the beach; dance to your favourite music; ride your bike in the park; swim and splash about at the local pool; walk yours or a friend’s dog; throw a Frisbee or a ball; jump on a trampoline… there’s just so many things you can do together as a family that will really benefit both you and your children. 8) Try a little at a time and then increase the amount each week. Don’t expect your child to be an athlete from day one. 9) And most importantly – make it fun. Nicky continues: “FitKid is an example of an activity that your child can attend. FitKid Franchise runs fun fitness sessions for Children from 18 months to 16 years to encourage them to get active and have fun with their friends. Enjoyment is the key – and this is what FitKid is all about. “FitKid’s aim is to help Children become more active. Our sessions are designed to encourage all children, no matter what their ability, to participate in fun fitness activities that help to improve their health. We provide the opportunity for all children to participate regularly in a non-threatening, non-competitive environment and ensure the health of the next generation. Our sessions include a variety of fun equipment including balls, beanbags, hoops, parachute, space hoppers etc. “Our view is that children learn to be active only through being active. Regular exercise is the only way to prevent decay of the body, and it should become as much of a habit for children as cleaning their teeth. FitKid believes that children can easily be educated to understand how their body works in such a way that they enjoy monitoring their own progress. “FitKid wants to increase activity levels in young children by putting the fun back in to fitness and has recently launched a franchise model across the UK based on the success of its template franchise in Dorset. FitKid believes that with constant encouragement, children can get into a habit of regular exercise and learn what types of exercise will help them to lead a healthier lifestyle. For more details on FitKid, log on to www.fitkid.co.uk . |