One of the biggest gifts you can give your children is to teach them to love being active and fit. Not only will they enjoy all the physical and mental benefits of being fit and healthy, but they will also thank you for preventing them from becoming part of the growing number of young, South African children who are grossly overweight. Here’s how to do it…

Inactivity and the youth
According to recent research South Africans and their children are getting fatter by the day and less than half of the population admits to understanding the importance of physical fitness and exercise. No wonder that 17% of South Africa’s inactive, unfit, young (under the age of nine) children are classified as not fat, but grossly overweight and obese.

The good news is that this situation can be turned around by parents who try to stay active, fit and healthy themselves and who encourage their children from a very young age to do the same. After all, negative as well as positive behaviours and habits are ingrained in early childhood.

Basics of fitness
The main aim of exercise and fitness is to enhance the following:

    • Endurance (stamina and perseverance)
    • Strength (muscle power)
    • Flexibility (suppleness).

The benefits of endurance, strength and flexibility are the following:

    • Stamina: the energy necessary to keep on moving and to persevere with an activity without becoming too tired
    • Strong muscles and bones: the ability and power to lift, push, pull, climb, etc.
    • Suppleness: the ability to balance, bend and stretch the body without hurting it.

The overall benefits of being active, fit and healthy also include better coordination, better sleep, better body image because weight is controlled, better self-esteem and self-discipline, the ability to handle physical and emotional challenges better and a better outlook on life in general.

Olympic gymnasts, Nadia Comaneci and Bart Connor, report that having had a sense of commitment to be fit and healthy and to practise their sport kept them out of a lot of the typical bad temptations presented to young children and teens.

Plan of action
To accomplish the above-mentioned parents need a customised plan of action. The secret to success is to keep the activities age appropriate, but fun.

Here are a few tips that may help:

    • Get them off their butts! According to recent research findings the average child spends far too much time sitting on his/her butt watching television, playing electronic games, twittering and texting friends, etc. In fact, a report from the UK pointed out that reducing children’s TV viewing time for a week cut their waist measurement by an average 2.3 cm.
    • Involve the whole family. The old adage of families who play together, stay together is still true. Plan shared fun activities such as walks (include the dogs), hikes, adventure holidays and camping, visits to any open-air place such as the beach, zoo or botanical gardens where you walk a lot or to a park/playground with jumping castles and other equipment to keep the young ones busy. Play with your children at home, kick a ball or swim or make up a game if necessary.
    • Try to find out what each child’s fitness personality is. Some children are natural athletes who enjoy competing against others (and winning), while other are less competitive and just enjoy casually participating in sporting activities. There are some, unfortunately, who do not really enjoy exercising or being active at all. This presents a special challenge to parents to find an activity that may interest them, maybe something like yoga or ballroom dancing or even gardening. Walking through and around a flea market or nursery is also a form of exercise that may appeal to them and don’t disregard a morning of window shopping in a large mall – you can walk for hours!
    • Nurture a love of sport and other physical activities by attending games together or watching special sporting events such as the Olympics or Comrades. Even better, volunteer to help and take your children with you. Nothing can replace the vibe and general excitement of watching or participating in a live event, even if it is just a fun walk or run.

Secret of success
The secret of success is to be not only the role model your children look up to, but also the one that encourages them, carts them around, attends their sporting activities and takes care of the nitty-gritty stuff, such as buying and paying for sporting equipment and outings, with a smile! It’s up to you as a parent to teach your child to eat well and play well. Good luck!

 

Sources
Dreisbach, S. Fit generation: 9 fun ways to sneak fitness into your day. Retrieved from: http://www.parenting.com/article/fit-generation-9-fun-ways-to-sneak-fitness-into-your-day
Hartston, W. 2013.Top 10 facts about obesity. Retrieved from: http://www.express.co.uk/fun/top10facts/368633/Top-10-facts-about-obesity
Keeping kids active 2011. Retrieved from: ttp://www.kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition center/staying fit/active kids.html
Rhodes, M. Ways to get kids psyched about fitness. Retrieved from: http://wwwparenting.com/article/50-ways-to-get-kids-psyched-about-fitness
The South African food taboo: confronting the obesity crisis. 2013. Retrieved from: http://www.news24.com/MyNews24/the-South-African-food-taboo-Confronting-the-obesity-crisis-20130207