Wordless Wednesday

Kid Stuff!

I would like to highlight a great website that I came across while searching the web earlier this week. KidsHealth. It is dedicated to kids, teens and even parents. Why Exercise is Cool is the title of one of the articles for kids. The article goes on to explain what sweat is, what your heart does, what aerobic means and so much more. I like the fact that it explains these terms in a way a child would be able to understand. I think I know a fair amount about all things fitness, but I will admit that sometimes when Amara (5) asks me questions it's difficult for me to explain them to her in her terms. This website is a great reference!
It also has numerous articles on Feelings, Staying healthy, Staying safe and other situations that kids will face. The Teen pages seem very good as well. I am sure I will need lots of help in that department when the time comes (eeek). Sexual Health, Food and Fitness, Drugs and Alcohol--just to name a few. I urge you to take a look at this website. It's voted #1 most-visited website for children's health and development. I am adding it to my favorites and I think you should too!

Kid Stuff!

Now that Amara is older and starting to get involved in more physical activity I wondered if she needs the "special" gear like mom and dad have. It did not take me long to realize that I think that she does! Kids sweat too and are probably left uncomfortable in normal cotton shirts and/or shorts. I can probably bet that she will get my profuse sweat gland genes as well. After her first kids fun run she told me that she was all hot and sweaty! It starts.....Matt is not much of a sweater. He works out hard, but just does not sweat as much as I do. ( no fair).

I found the cutest wicking t-shirt and running skort at Target for Amara. She also has a cute pink wicking tank. They were reasonably priced and she loves them. One thing we have not done is to buy her name brand running or sport shoes yet. We will get them as gifts, but I cannot make myself spend that kind of money on shoes for her yet. Any opinions on running shoes for 5 year olds? I don't want her feet, ankles and knees to be all weird because I did not spend the money on the name brands. I am usually only brand conscious when it comes to my workout gear! From past experiences I feel that the top brand names are the way to go if I am concerned about quality and performance. I am just not sure if that rings true for the population of little people!

Kid Stuff!

Sometimes it's difficult to keep the kids interested in physical activity. Riding bikes and taking walks day after day can get kind of tedious for some. This past weekend Amara was bored and as much as she wanted to go for a bike ride, we were not able to due to Miles taking a nice long nap. She has been asking me to make her an obstacle course for a few weeks now and Saturday was the perfect day to finally do it.

No fancy equipment needed at all. We just used her outside toys, a balance disk, a few pails and paper plates! Viola--an instant obstacle course!

She ran around this thing all afternoon too. She wanted me to time her and she just kept getting faster and faster! She was doing donkey kicks ( paper plates) making baskets, jumping over stuff, running in circles and crossing the finish line like a pro.

These little activities make it a lot easier to get your child moving 60 minutes a day. It does not seem like exercise at all to most kids--just fun! What ways do you have physical fun with your kids! I would love to hear from you!

Kid Stuff!

My 5 year old started Track and Field class at our YMCA last week. I was in track and field from middle school to high school so I think this is pretty neat. She seems to enjoy it, but she is easy to please for the most part. So far they have learned to sprint, long jump, hurdles ( high and low) and tomorrow is relay day! My little Energizer Bunny also has swim lessons on the same day. She is totally wiped out by the end of the day and sleeps like a log 2 nights a week!

Miles is starting to be a handful. He is so active and never sits still. Probably nothing out of the ordinary for an almost 2 year old boy! He dances, runs, jumps, gallops, climbs and jumps off of the couch, chairs, the dog and his sister. The boy is a maniac!

It's a good thing Matt and I are all for being active. We have really started to monitor the kids TV time. I know it's a hard thing to do. Lately we turn on our cable stations music channel ( no videos-just music) and just have that on most of the day. My kids do watch TV too, but we try to limit it to just a few shows a day.

We don't want them to be another statistic in America. Children and adolescence should be getting at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day! Encourage them to do things they enjoy and offer a variety of activities for them. Going for walks, jumping rope and riding bikes are easy ways to fit in the 60 minutes.

What are some ways you get your kids up and moving? I would love to hear from you!