(BlackFitness101.com) When many of us think of fitness, rigid diets, gym regimens, and ideas of shredding comes to mind. There are people that enjoy this manner of fitness and they find it to be wonderful, while others see it as the necessary inconvenience. Fitness is something we do because it’s a better option to take care of one’s health than suffer the consequences. However, it is very possible for our children to have a better relationship to fitness and health. If we start them out when they are babies and toddlers eating healthy then it’s a part of their live verses an invasion on their poor little taste buds. They would know a life where healthy food and great taste are a match made in heaven. The same can be said for physical fitness. If we pay attention to our children, we might find that they want to be active it is just up to us to hone this in them.
It is very easy to define fitness for your children as organized sports. Regardless of the sport the physical fitness and social interaction is good for the kid. Furthermore, this is something many parents enjoy partaking of with their children. However, fitness is an introduction we can
give our children before and outside of organized sports. Granted most gyms don’t allow minors under the age of 13 years old, so you would have to use various methods outside of just going to the gym. When children are learning how to walk and run, they can’t get enough of it. It can be a task for the parent because containing them is a challenge. Well, instead of containing them allowing them to burn through that energy can be the first introductions to fitness.
Taking children to the park and allowing them to play and run until they are content is good for them and they enjoy it. As they learn new exercises at school, we can do it with them because they are going to want to show us at home. We can create games as a family that get everyone moving. This will allow our children to associate exercise with fun outside of sports which can help keep them healthy and prevent things such as childhood obesity.
It is important, as parents, to make the time to engage our children in the ways of fitness before they lose their natural zeal for activity. This happens when they are given electronic devices to keep them occupied, and the screen time is not balanced with physical activity. If you find that your child is glued to the latest kid show you’d want to break up the time and add fun activities before they come to view exercise as a hassle unless they are on a team.
Creating a health diet and physical activity culture from the time your child is able to partake is a step towards breaking the generational curses of particular illnesses within the black community. Through your children you may find a joy in exercise you never knew possible.
Staff Writer; Christian Starr
May connect with this sister over at Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/christian.pierre.9809 and also Twitter; http://twitter.com/MrzZeta.