How to Eliminate Childhood Obesity

My personal experience with obesity, healthy nutrition, and an active lifestyle is directly linked to each person's awareness of themselves. If you don't realize that YOU are the only who can help your body get back to its normal healthy state would you put an effort into doing something about it? Create a challenge for yourself and make yourself feel better. Remember: if your body can't function you won't be able to fulfill what you want to do with your life. You NEED your body for that to happen! When children are involved that creates an extra responsibility because now you not only have yourself to take care of, but another person to teach. Another little lady/man to raise and help them fulfill their dreams.

Children need an all inclusive hour of physical activity in 24 hours. Children require more than adults because of their growing bodies. Adults only need to maintain, loose and sometimes gain. Be creative. it doesn't need to be all at once, but the benefits of physical activity should be enough to inspire children and parents to both get moving!!! Children are more likely to have the following 'side effects' when implementing an active lifestyle:

lower stress levels
healthier self esteem
increased their ability to learn
maintain a healthy weight
build and a strong body
fewer personality/emotional disorders
improve their sleep

Simply walking is a great way to get started. Plan fun, physically active activities throughout the day. It's easier to maintain a lifestyle change when involving other close friends so consider the following options: join your favourite sport team; baseball, softball, tennis, or Fris-bee in the park. Join fitness classes for kids (available at any community center) like swimming, martial arts for children. Check your resources and community events and activities.

Nutrition is the vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and fibre our bodies need to maintain their health. These nutrients come from the foods we eat, but not just any food. That's where the nutritional servings and facts come in handy on every package of food you purchase. To maintain your health so your body can keep you going you need to feed it the right kind of food as well as portion sizes. A good way to find out portion size is to look at the palm of your hand excluding your fingers. Don't skimp, or over-indulge. Eat six snacks or 3 meals and 3 small snacks a day. Fruits and vegetables are two kinds of food that have the most nutrition. If you don't like fruit and vegetables consider this method of getting your nutrition. It works great from my personal experience as I've struggled the last 10 years in finding a method to maintain my nutrition without compromising needed nutrients, portion sizes, types of food eaten. I prefer something that tastes great, doesn't fill me up, but doesn't make me feel like I over-ate and has all the nutrients without having to eat lots of stuff to get all the nutrition my body needs.

Have fun with fruit and vegetables. Try a new kind. Try preparing it a different way. Find different kinds of recipes to use. Experiment with the portion sizes on the back of food packages. The quickest snack is an apple. I like to use a slicer that slices and cores the apple all at once. I don't mind the peel so this works great for me. For example; there are over 7,499 varieties of apples in this world. Explore the world of apples and their flavours. Experiment with other fruits: make a fruit salad with watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, or oranges, grapefruit, apple. You can also try strawberry, peach, apple, and mandarin orange. Try making a sauce by thickening orange juice with a little cornstarch. The cornstarch box will have the right liquid to cornstarch ratio. Don't use more than 1c. orange juice to 2tsp cornstarch. Remember this is a sauce, not a gravy. Try different fruits on sale at your supermarket. Find which ones you like, which ones you do. Broaden your taste horizon.

A few tips to get more fruit in your lifestyle:

When the body has to much sugar it turns to fat. that's a worse fat than the normal fat. Use fruit juices with no sugar added. Check labels for sugar and sodium (salt) content. The lower the better off your body is. Use cereals with a higher fibre content. Add strawberries, bananas, saskatoons, blueberries, or raspberries.

A few creative ways to get more vegetables in your diet:

Make lettuce salad: tomatoes, cucumbers. Use a light, balanced, or fat-free dressing of your choice. Broccoli salad: cauliflower, sunflower seeds, cheese, raisins, onion, and bacon (grill the bacon). Use light, balanced, or fat-free mayo to create your dressing. Spinach salads: add bacon, grilled or bits, and boiled eggs. Have snacks readily available like baby carrots and celery sticks with a low-fat or fat-free dip of choice. Other vegetables for snacks or salads are: kale, sweet potatoes (bake your own fries), any color pepper, or sugar snap peas depending on the season. Experiment and share! Order veggie pizzas with toppings like mushrooms, green peppers and onions-ask for extra veggies. Try mixing vegetables into other food favourites as well. Pack school lunches with cut-up veggies for an afternoon snack-try red pepper carrots or cucumber slices.

Protein.

Protein is what feeds your muscles. Muscles are like verbs. They act by burning the fat in your body. How fast or slow your body burns your fat is what your metabolism is. Your metabolism may be fast or slow depending on genetics. A general idea of what protein is: meat, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts, and milk. Be careful with fat content, but don't eliminate it as the good fat is needed to 'lubricate' your whole system in an effort to keep it working. Your body is like a car. You need to keep oil in the engine so it doesn't create friction and blow up. Grease helps all the other little parts to work together without wearing each other down and creating a break down.

Drink lots of water.

They say drink 8-8oz cups of water a day. I say don't bloat yourself, but pick the right choice. If you're thirsty pick water. Be careful with sports drinks and sugary soda because of the sugar content It depends on your body size. Obese people can handle more water as they have more body mass. Here are some suggestions on better beverage choices to maintain your health:

1% or skim milk
choose water (even at meal time)
drink 100% fruit or veggie juice without added sugar
add a slice of lemon to a glass of water
having soda for a treat? choose a small size
Turn off the TV and video games

Limit the children's time playing video games and watching TV. Teach them how by doing it yourself. These activities that are the major cause for the obesity epidemic in our country for the ONLY reason that is does not include parental guidance. Help your children learn to surf the web and play a game and use time management to show them how. Half hour outdoors playing fris-bee and half hour surfing the web. The key is to keep them moving. Find methods to motivate them using their favourite activities, games because kids need to run and play everyday. Show them how by doing it yourself.

Help with the family dinner.

Work together. Teamwork: divide the work and multiply the success. Shop together. Cook Together. Plan the menu together. Be creative. Imaginative. Find new recipes. By following these suggestions you and your child/children will thank you as they grow up to be healthy and active adults that will have the privilege and pleasure not only gaining their goals, but living their dreams along with the wonderful chance to help another person and broaden their horizons more, making more friends. Expanding their borders.

Remember that everything takes time. It takes a body four weeks to actually understand that you're making a change. Make it a good one! Think twice about your actions because they create consequences and that becomes your future.

You are who you think you are. Nothing is impossible if you make up your mind and believe it can be done.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joleen_G_Friesen

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Childhood Obesity Is A Serious Problem

Obesity is a health condition where weight gain moves to a point that it poses a grim risk to health. One of the best ways to reduce the chances of childhood obesity is to improve the diet patterns and help your child cultivate exercise habits. Taking care of and preventing childhood obesity helps protect the health of your child and can avoid serious ailments. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a scientific indicator of determining the amount of body fat for children two years of age or older. Regular check-ups and advice from your child's doctor can help you assess if your child's weight can pose health issues in the future course.

Prospective dietary factors behind obesity

Obesity occurs when a person takes in more energy than they expend, while some people are genetically vulnerable than others, but the rise in obesity has been too hasty to be attributed to genetic factors and thus reflect changes in eating habits and levels of physical activity. Dormant lifestyles, high dietary intake of junk foods in place of homemade food, high intakes of sugar sweetened soft drinks and fruit juices, and strict dieting are chief reasons of increasing childhood obesity.

The most important cause behind rising childhood obesity occurs at a time when the proportion of energy derived from fat decreases substantially. It is thus important to consume healthy food rather than the larger amount. Moreover, foods rich in glycaemic index such as breads, potatoes, soft drinks, biscuits and cakes cause significant rise in blood sugar levels immediately after consumption and also stimulates hunger, causing overeating. These food articles thus induce flab causing heart disease and diabetes. The increased consumption of junk food that is high in fat, energy intense, has a high glycaemic index is a major reason of increasing child obesity. Junk foods are high on energy and low on micro nutrient foods are causative agents in obesity. Fibrous food products rich in anti-oxidants and healthy day schedules can help manage this problem. Prevention and management of obesity requires synchronized efforts to improve diet and induce the physical efforts in the early years of children at schools, in families and communities.

Actions to Prevent and Remedial measures for Obesity

Obese children are more prone to mental sickness as they feel detached and unfriendly. They need regular and careful medical examination by a pediatrician to assess a physical cause. If obesity is not due to the genetic disorder, the only way to reduce weight is by reducing the number of calories consumed and to increase the child's level of physical activity by indulging into sports. Cultivate healthy eating habits, avoiding fatty and sugar rich junk foods and include fruits, vegetables and low-fat snacks in the daily diet. Increase physical activity, by taking a few brisk walks with your child every day.

Obese children feel isolated. Let your child know he or she is loved and appreciated irrespective of appearance and overweight. An overweight child probably knows better than anyone else that he or she has an overweight problem. They need love, support, acceptance, and encouragement from their parents and community. Encourage and enjoy healthy foods and physical activity like sports, walk, etc. Set good examples for your child. Don't be shy of your child's overweight. When your child sees you enjoying healthy foods and physical activity, he or she is more likely to enjoy the same for rest of life.

Childhood obesity is a serious matter of concern for parents today. Obese kids suffer from a lot of health problems.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abhishek_Kumar_Khandelwal

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A Trip Back To Childhood

You are all grown up now, have jobs to work and responsibilities to fulfill; you don't have birthday parties the way you had them when you were a kid. You still have fun but you wish you could celebrate your birthday the same way you did when you were a 5 year old. Yes, now you may feel awkward going to a party dressed up like a fairy or a lion or even as superman; imagine all the fun you could have revisiting your childhood. Eating gummy bears, fish n chips, drinking lemonade, playing around with bouncy castles; wouldn't that be the kind of experience you will want to enjoy all over again?

Here is a list of ideas that you could use to turn back the clock and revisit your childhood

King of the Jungle, Cinderella or Superman

Have a theme for your party. Send a colorful invite to your guests informing them well in advance about the theme and encourage all of them to be appropriately dressed for the party. You could have different themes like the animal kingdom, fairytales, superheroes, cartoons, cars zombie, and many fun themes that would interest you and your guests. And to make it all the more fun, have a fancy dress competition and give away prizes to the best dressed individual. You will be actually surprised to see the efforts your friends and family will take to dress up for the party. Click a lot of pictures, make videos, capture those beautiful moments forever.

One, Two, Three... Jump!

Jumping castles! Everyone likes them, be it a 5 year old kid or the father of that 5 year old kid. The feeling you get when you are up in the air, jumping all the way, it's exhilarating. Back in the days a jumping castle would be something as simple as a bouncy floor with four pillars around them or the one wherein you could climb on one side and come sliding down on the other side. You will be amazed at the different types of castles that are available in the market today; you will be spoilt for choice. Superman, Spiderman, Shrek, Disney princess, gladiator castles... the list seemed endless. You can also find castles with tunnels, multiple entry and exit points, slides, and mazes. Make sure the jumping castles you hire are durable enough and can handle the weight of grown up adults jumping around on them.

Junk Food on the Menu

If you are conscious about what you eat; always watching those calories then you should probably relax a bit and get some junk food in your system. A slice of pizza topped with lots of gooey cheese won't hurt your dashboard abs. You can include pastries and cartoon shaped candies and biscuits in your menu. For deserts you could play around with the classic cake, ice cream or jelly combo.

How successful your party ends up to be completely depends on how well you execute it. But trust me, they will turn out to be a good story you could tell your kids and grandkids!

If you are planning to celebrate your birthday the same way you did as a kid, then jumping castles should make it to your list of necessary items. Click here to get the best deals on adult jumping castles.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sterling_Dunlap

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Children's Health - The Dangers of Childhood Obesity

There are many causes for childhood obesity, but the most prominent cause is obesity in parents. When parents are obese their children are already exposed to the idea of obesity being okay, meaning they won't consider it odd to over eat and become much larger than anyone else their age. This predisposition to food is very bad for a child, and most of the time results in childhood obesity, which is much more dangerous than obesity in adults.

Studies have proven that if children are obese then they will more than likely also be obese when they're older. Working to not be obese is something children will struggle with for a long time if they're used to being overweight, but it's always better for them to be of standard weight for their age. There are many health problems associated with childhood obesity, some occur mentally and some physically.

The first health problems caused by childhood obesity will be psychological. These problems can be cause by bullying at school by piers or even by family members. It's well-known that children often gang up on others with an obvious weakness, and weight is an obvious weakness that many children have. This bullying can cause serious psychological damage in the form of paranoia, and can even lead to eating disorders like anorexia, having the opposite effect of the childhood obesity and causing even more problems.

Diabetes is a big problem for those suffering with obesity. Diabetes is a condition where people have high blood sugar as a result of their body not producing enough insulin, or the insulin it is producing having no effect on the level of blood sugar there is. This is a serious condition which can lead to the loss of a foot and permanent damage of someone's sight if people aren't careful.

Cancer is another well-known result of childhood obesity. Cancer kills thousands of people every year, and no matter how much research is made into treatments, the best cure for cancer caused by obesity is prevention of the obesity itself. If parents make the effort to help their children lose the weight, maybe by losing their excess weight themselves, then they might well save their child's life.

A final, but not the final, result of childhood obesity is cartoid arteries. This is the process of the arteries aging by as much as thirty years due to the higher levels of cholesterol in the body. Exercise and a good diet are the best cures for this and more health conditions childhood obesity causes.

Chris Backman was worried when he research childhood obesity for this article, as he was very worried for his children, even though they are a healthy weight. Using soft play centres is something Chris does with his children anyway, but now he is more aware of why he must use them.

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Childhood Obesity - Is It a Cause for Worry?

Childhood obesity is a growing tendency in the United States of America. Today, one of five children in our country is overweight or obese. It is fortunate that children are not as prone to obesity-associated health risks as adults are. That however, does not change the fact that overweight children are at an increased risk of becoming obese adults with all the health problems associated, Children are also faced with the difficulties of growing up with all the stress and low self-esteem generated by obesity.

Causes of Childhood Obesity
Just as it is the case with adults, children become overweight or obese because of several contributing factors, which include:

• Genetic factors. Although it is not uncommon that children of obese parents are overweight, causes for this are not in every case genetic. It is very probable that eating patterns observed and learned from the parents are at the root of the weight issues of the child.
• Reduced or non-existent physical activity. Children need physical activity and if their circumstances deprive them for moving around as much as they would want to, they might start eating, simply out of boredom!
• Unhealthy eating habits
• Medical conditions, such as a hormonal disorder

It is highly recommended to visit a medical specialist before taking any measure in the case of obese children. It is important that medical conditions that might be the cause of obesity are ruled out before any weight loss strategy is adopted.

Childhood Obesity Health Risks
Among the most common health conditions that pester obese children one can find:

• High levels of cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Heart conditions
• Diabetes
• Bone strengths problems
• Heat rash, fungal infections, acne

Deciding Whether or Not a Child is Obese
It is for a medical specialist to tell if a child is overweight/obese or not. Check factors include the ratio of weight to height (BMI), age, growth patterns, etc. Given the unpredictability of growth during childhood, evaluating obesity in children is far more difficult and complex than it is in adults.

Establishing Healthy Lifestyle Habits for the Entire Family 
It is rather unrealistic to expect a child to notice that the eating and exercise habits of the family are not healthy, but it is even more inappropriate to expect a child to take the initiative and correct the mistakes on his/her own. It is essential for parents to become the change they wish to see in their child. It is the surest, quickest and safest way to convince a child, without having to think of elaborate, but empty preaches. Regular, fun family activities with a fair share of exercise such as bike trips, walks, swimming or playing sports are beneficial on many levels: slow, but steady weight loss, lifted spirits, good mood, improved self-esteem, etc.

For obese children it is probably the most important to be constantly assured about the love and support of their parents, as this is a primary condition of healthy psychological development. Feeling accepted and valued also helps obese children to cope with the high emotional demands of social life.

Dr. Timothy Ehrlich is director of bariatric surgery at Griffin Hospital in Derby, Connecticut. He performs minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery.

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Baby Health Tips For New Parents

When you are a first time parent, being responsible for another human being is a fairly daunting prospect! It is difficult to know when you are just being a slightly over protective parent and when you really do need to call in medical assistance for your baby. If your baby is very ill and has difficulty in breathing has a very high temperature, is vomiting or defecating excessively, having convulsions or passing blood then you certainly need to call a doctor. Similarly if he is weak and has no energy you may wish to check with a professional. However, in most cases you will be able to simply treat minor problems yourself. Here are a few of the most common baby health issues and tips about treating them.

Caring For A Newborns Umbilical Cord

When your baby comes home, he will still have a part of the umbilical cord attached to his belly button. This will all off within a few weeks. However, it can become infected so until it does drop off you should take care to keep it clean and dry. It is recommended that you gently dab the area once or twice a day with some alcohol on a cotton swab. It is also important to make sure that the baby's diaper is below the cord so that it is not rubbed or wet with urine. In the event that the cord becomes red and irritated or bleeds and leaks a foul smelling pus, you should contact your baby's health provider. In the first few weeks this will likely be your midwife.

Preventing And Treating Diaper Rash

It is possible to prevent diaper rash all together by changing your baby's diaper frequently and washing her bottom with soap and warm water between changes. However, if the skin does become irritated you can apply zinc oxide paste to the affected area. It can also be useful to leave baby uncovered for a few hours each day to let her bottom enjoy fresh air. Do not forget to put some towels underneath her to catch any accidents!

Treating Colic

Colic can be one of the most frustrating issues far both parents and babies. It is severe pain caused by wind, and can only really be soothed until it passes. You should ensure that all other needs are taken care of before assuming that it is colic causing baby to cry. Is he wet, hot, lonely or tired? If you are sure it is colic there are a number of ways to calm the pain. Try holding baby stomach down across your lap and rubbing his back. You may also wish to add a gentle rocking motion. Sometimes pushing the baby in a stroller can sooth them. If colic is frequent then consider swapping baby's diet.

Hope you find these tips useful! I recommend you check out the Pediatric and Pregnancy health topics at KidsWorldMD. Definitely one of my favorite kids health resources!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Natali_S.

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Dental Health Tips for Children

Generally, kids have 20 teeth compared to adults who have 32 teeth. Their teeth are essential for a number of reasons. They are vital for chewing of food, engaging smiles, as well as to support facial muscles. The premature loss of kids' teeth can create problems in the permanent dentition. The truth is that some parents usually overlook dental health for children. What they don't know is that poor oral health affects the whole body of their children. Here are a few tips that will help you improve your child's dental health.

Teach your children how to brush

Teach your children to brush their teeth everyday using a squashy toothbrush. To make it even more exciting and fun, demonstrate it to them. Thoroughly clean your teeth using water and spit out. It's vital that you watch over your kids when they are brushing. Why? Children have a tendency of imitating adults. Furthermore, it will be a great bonding between you the parent and your kids. Remember to always teach them the best way to clean their teeth.

Teach your children how to floss

Flossing is an essential part of oral care since there is no other effectual way of eradicating food particles that are trapped between your kid's teeth. Brushing only is not enough. Thus, you should teach your children how to floss. Note that flossing may be unsafe for children. Therefore, you need to take some time to teach your kids how to floss safely. Flossing cannot overlook even when you are dealing with children's oral health. Teach your children how to floss when they become responsible for their oral hygiene.

Don't give your children sugary snacks

Research suggests that most of the kids get cavities because of consuming sugary snacks regularly. As much you possibly can, avoid giving your kids sugary snacks such as chocolates, hard candies, sugar and citrus fruits. These kinds of foods will destroy your kid's teeth if he consume in huge quantity. It's your duty as a parent to guide your kids to eating the right types of food.

Limit sharing of spoons between the kids and the caregivers

According to research, bacteria responsible for inflicting health problems in children can be passed from caregivers or parents to young children. It is therefore important to limit sharing of bottles, spoons and other utensils in order to make sure that your children enjoy proper oral health.

Take your children to the dentist

It is very important to take your kids to the dentist every 6 months for dental checkup. This is it will improve their dental health because these dental professionals have enough experience and are equipped to examine and clean teeth. We can't deny the fact that certain teeth problems can only be solved by these experts. Thus, it's vital to take your children to the dentist for checkups. Visiting the dentist regularly also enables parents to monitor their kids' conditions.

Aside from teaching your children the importance of good oral hygiene, you also need to encourage them to maintain proper dental hygiene to avoid any dental problems that may occur in the future.

If you need to see a dentist in Bangkok, visit Professional Thailand Dentists.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Molenda

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Become a Fit Family by Doing Fitness Family Style

Staying fit together as a family takes strategy. And here are three basic principles for tactically integrating family fitness into your family's life.

I like to use the acronym F.I.T.

"F" stands for fun. Getting kids involved requires that you keep things fun. Make workouts into games. Make games into workouts. As you'll notice when you go through many of the suggestions on this website, many of them are based on games kids already like to play.

But there's more to this fun thing than just getting the kids involved. We adults could learn a few lessons from the young ones. Kids are naturally active because they enjoy the movement. They giggle when you chase them and they can't stop grinning in a good wrestling match.

Adults too often neglect their fitness goals because they get bored, or it just feels too onerous, too hard.

When you keep the fun in for the kids, you also benefit. You enjoy what you're doing to stay fit. And truth is, you'll hardly notice the time and effort it takes the more fun is in the mix.

"I" stands for increments, itty bits, and integration. Break it up, break it down. We tend to think about taking an hour and going to the gym or taking a long run in the morning. That's not often feasible with a family schedule. But who says you need a whole hour in one chunk to get fit. Plenty of research has demonstrated that smaller bursts of activity can be more effective in getting you fit than long slogs. It may mean playing a quick game of tag before dinner. Or a quick wrestlemania on a Sunday morning.

It may be that you do a few curls while watching tv to supplement your family activity. Or get on the treadmill to do sprint intervals for 15 minutes while the baby's napping. Or having a few exercises you can do just about anywhere, while you're watching a kids concert in the park or waiting to meet with your child's teacher.

Break fitness into small manageable chunks.

But also integrate activity into your overall lifestyle. Take the Mayo Clinic's tips for bringing what they call NEAT exercise into your life and find little ways to make everyday living more active.

"T" stands for together. This is the most fundamental part of family fitness. Rather than finding a gym with childcare or shepherding your kids off to recreational soccer while you stand on the sidelines, find more ways to do these things together.

Certainly, you may find you need to supplement your family activity with little bits of extra individual workouts here and there. But it can be a whole lot less time away from family time if you've done more of your working out with your family.

The rewards for exercising together are clearly big in making your life more sane and your waist smaller. But the rewards go deeper. First off, you'll be raising your kids to think of activity as a fun family activity, as something that is an essential part of their life. This will keep them healthy long after they've left you to forge on on their own.

But all kinds of family bonds are created in this activity. Not only are you having fun together and sharing time together, but you're also sharing experiences that can be pivotal. You will all be there when your son is learning about good sportsmanship and losing. You will all be there when Dad does that hilarious face plant on the ski slope. You will all be there when your daughter has to struggle with her inner desire to quit and pushes a little harder through a challenge. The kids will see Mom trying to learn how to juggle a soccer ball and have that delightful experience of teaching their parents.

Fitness together will help keep you a fit family and a together family.

Sarah Clachar provides tips on fun, fitness and family at http://www.fitfamilytogether.com. A professional health writer and mom, she has been published both online and off in magazines like Health, Mothering, and Taste for Life.

For more information and a free eBook on fitness and family, go to http://www.fitfamilytogether.com

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Great Family Fitness for Older Children

Many people think that when it comes to kids' exercise, younger kids are easier to get moving. They're more willing to do activities and they're not at the age yet where they have to worry about looking cool. But, there is good news for families with older children. There are plenty of great family fitness ideas for these kids and it is very possible to get them to exercise just as easily.

This article is going to talk about just one of those fitness ideas. Visiting a gym or rec center with your child can be done at any time and can be used to teach a child a lot about exercise. Your kids will also be more willing to use exercise equipment when they see adults who are in really good shape using them.

The great thing about these facilities is there are lots of exercise options, both for boys and girls. Here are some activities available at many gyms and rec centers:

• Cardio room
• Weight room
• Basketball
• Racquetball
• Aerobic classes
• Cooking or healthy eating classes
• Pool

You can do each of these activities together as a family, or let your child do their own thing. You can run on a treadmill while they play a game of basketball or take a swim in the pool. If it is their first time at the gym, just make sure there is some sort of supervision. Encourage them to try something new and out of their comfort zone. Show them how to lift weights or use the machines. If they have any questions, they should ask you or one of the staff.

Many of these facilities now use state-of-the-art equipment and they provide entertainment as your kids exercise. For example, most gyms have a cardio theater and in the open cardio room there's a television on every treadmill, elliptical machine, etc.

If you don't have a family membership to a gym, visit your local facility and see if they'll let your family try out the gym a couple times before getting a membership. If you see that your family likes the facility and will use it often, a family membership would be a good investment.

Visiting the gym together is one great way to encourage family fitness and have healthy kids. Make health and wellness a priority for your family and show your kids just how much fun exercise can be.

Remember that the reason to learn about family fitness is to give you skills and knowledge necessary to help your children become the healthiest people they can be. Learn about how to get kids healthier through yoga by visiting this article. http://exerciseactivitiesforkids.blogspot.com/2013/02/yoga-games-for-kids.html

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4 Great Family Exercise Ideas That Can Increase Your Fitness

Exercise is a big commitment in terms of time. Unfortunately, if you take this commitment it means that you have to sacrifice time that could be spent with your family. However, if you get a little creative you can do both. In this article I will be discussing 4 fantastic family exercise ideas that allow you to spend time with your family and improve your fitness.

1) CYCLING:

Cycling is a fantastic way to get some exercise and take your family on a mini-adventure. So if you have nothing planned on 1 of your weekend afternoons prepare your route, get the bikes ready and head off for a cycle. You can even make it a bit more interesting by cycling somewhere for lunch and then cycling back. 1 hour of light cycling burns 400 calories so if you make an afternoon of it you can break the 1,000 calorie mark.

2) FOOTBALL:

Football (or soccer if you are from the USA) is a brilliant team based family exercise idea. For a full game you need 2 teams of 11 people but you can realistically have a casual match with much lower numbers than this. Even if it's just you the wife and the kids you can still have an enjoyable kick about. All you need is a football, some open space such as your garden or the local park and optionally some goal posts. A relaxed kick about will burn through a notable 476 calories per hour.

3) SNOWBOARDING:

If you want to take the family on a day out and stay active in the process, snowboarding is a brilliant choice. All you need to do is find a snowboarding centre that is nearby, book the whole family in and get yourself there. Snowboarding gets through a reasonable 429 calories per hour so if you do a few hours these calories will really add up.

4) WALKING:

Walking is a top family exercise. You don't need equipment and as long as there is a footpath you can do it anywhere you like. Walking is not as intense as football or snowboarding but it is still a better option than sitting at home and watching TV and burns a reasonable 240 calories per hour.

SUMMARY:

Including your family in your exercise plans is a really good idea. It allows you to have fun with them, get yourself fit and get them fit with you. The best part is it's not too difficult either. All you need is a little creativity and you can come up with plenty of amazing family exercise ideas that everyone will enjoy.

Tom Parker owns Free Fitness Tips which contains a wide range of articles on fitness. You can get even more family exercise ideas by visiting his website.

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Lifestyle Family Fitness

The mission at Lifestyle Family Fitness is "To fulfill our members' needs and build lasting relationships through a fun and friendly experience. It is our goal to ensure this is accomplished with every member, every day." They have created a comfortable and family oriented environment to make exercising more of a pleasure. In order to create this atmosphere they offer a children's' club, member perks and a friendly and committed staff. They are committed to helping members lose weight, maintain a healthy body and enjoy their time in the gym.

At t his health club members enjoy state of the art fitness equipment to maximize their efforts, more than thirty group fitness classes to choose from, including: cycling, water classes, dance and boot camp; they also are provided the option to do a freestyle workout where they can layout their own workout or choose the assistance of an extremely qualified personal trainer to support them in accomplishing their goals and keeping them motivated. Members are also treated to a $150 gift card upon joining to purchase equipment or exercise wear and enjoy any of the health spa treatments available; there is also a quarterly Lifestyle magazine published online and in the facilities that is available to all and gives quick exercise tips, nutritional information for living a healthy lifestyle and herbal remedy advice.

There are three different membership types at Lifestyle Family Fitness that each have different perks.

1. One Club- this membership includes basic privileges and guarantees and allows 6 visitor sessions.

2. Passport- includes all One Club privileges plus daycare, cycling and use of any club nationwide, plus 9 visitor sessions.

3. Premier- includes all Passport privileges plus tanning and 12 visitor sessions.
Each of these membership plans can be modified based on individual needs and range anywhere from forty to sixty-five dollars a month. Clients should build muscle, lose weight and, most of all, have fun.

Susan Smith writes health articles about fitness and nutrition. Some of her favorite passions include writing about energy drinks and natural sleep aids.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sue_Smith

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