Fit Tip Friday: Fit Family Lifestyle Month!

Fit Tip Friday

 

 

Did you know that the month of January is not only the month of personal resolutions, but it is also the month to really get your family in on the act!  It's officially Fit Family Lifestyles Month! (I had no idea until a kind reader emailed and pointed it out, Thanks Kendra!)

 

So, today, I thought that I would share five tips to keep your healthy habits all in the family! :)

 

1. BE THE EXAMPLE!  Be the example that you want your children to model. If they need to get moving a little more, you need to get moving yourself!  If they are eating a lot of junk -- it's usually because they see one or both parents enjoying the not so healthy stuff. If they need to drink more water, start drinking more water yourself!  You're probably dehydrated anyway. ;)

 

2. KEEP EACH OTHER ON BOARD!  If you're making getting healthy a family affair, it's pretty difficult to hang out inside while the rest of the family is outside playing and having a good time. Cheer one another on as you learn new ways to move your body and as progress is made!

 

3. PUT IT ON THE CALENDAR! Schedule your fitness as you would any other appointment. If your family has made a commitment to walk every evening after dinner -- put it on the calendar and keep that commitment as if it were any other important appointment!

 

4. REWARD YOURSELVES! If your family has stuck to the program and has done their daily movement and healthy eating with little to no complaint for 3 days or so, have a family game night! Or, if they've committed to a sporting league, get them a new piece of gear as a reward for making that healthy commitment!

 

5. KEEP IT FUN!  This is the most important, especially for small children. If they are not deriving some sort of enjoyment from an activity, they are less likely to continue to do it on a regular basis. So, keep it interesting and keep them interested by doing things that they enjoy. If you have children that are total opposites (say, one is wild and one is calm) - alternate between activities that one or the other would enjoy more, that way each child (and parent!) experiences something that they otherwise would have written off. Who knows they may end up loving soccer or football, when they otherwise would have been hanging out on the couch.

 

 

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