by Pennie Sempell, JD ACMT
Do you wish your child were spending more time playing outdoors or becoming involved in a physical sport? With childhood obesity on the rise, ask yourself honestly, Does my child’s weight fit within the pediatrician’s recommendations for his or her age and height? Am I making excuses for excess weight? Are we physically active enough as a family?
Fitness Helps. In “Motivating Fitness Tip #1, I discuss how fitness patterns established in childhood extend to adulthood. As important, fitness helps your child right now in their academic and social life, as well as the obvious physical benefits. Learning is enhanced when the mind is relaxed and stress is lowered. Exercise is one of the better ways to reduce stress and its effects on the mind. Regular exercise helps oxygenate the brain and maintain improved cardiovascular health. These benefits support brain functioning as your child meets the challenges of education.
Step 1: Look at Yourself. Sometimes the answer to what is not going the way we want in our child’s life has an answer in a behavior or lifestyle change that parents can initiate. Children absorb their surroundings, even if they seem oblivious. So modeling (actually doing) the behavior you hope to see in your child is a good start. Ask yourself “Am I getting the exercise and outdoor activity that I desire for myself?” If the answer is yes, bravo! Now, ask yourself “Is there any way that I can better involve my child in these activities?” If you are not getting the exercise you need for your optimum help, then that is a good place to start making a change. And your child will notice. Make sure they do by keeping them in the loop. “See you in 15 minutes, Joey, I’m going to do my yoga stretches now.”
Step 2: Create Rewarding Opportunities. As most seasoned parents know, modeling desirable fitness behavior may not be enough to see real changes in the here and now in your child. For instance, how many moms have time to play video games and watch television for five hours a day? Few moms model that behavior, yet that is the average number of hours that children watch media in America.
If Step 1 is not effective, get creative about ways to do family outings that have a physical component and have a built in “reward”. By “reward”, I mean that the family members feel good about the experience overall. It may be that a favorite friend or family member is invited along for a hike in a local park. It may mean that the family dines at a favorite café after the family plays basketball together on the high school court.
Do it regularly. It will become a new pattern. There are hundreds of potential ideas to mindfully create opportunities that positively reinforce physical, mental and social fitness.
Working with physicians and psychologists at a major medical center, former teacher and mediator, Pennie Sempell, JD, ACMT specializes in integrative healing arts and mind-body therapies. She has written, performed and produced award-winning programs for children with a focus on health literacy. www.HealthierHappierLife.com.
Do you wish your child were spending more time playing outdoors or becoming involved in a physical sport? With childhood obesity on the rise, ask yourself honestly, Does my child’s weight fit within the pediatrician’s recommendations for his or her age and height? Am I making excuses for excess weight? Are we physically active enough as a family?
Fitness Helps. In “Motivating Fitness Tip #1, I discuss how fitness patterns established in childhood extend to adulthood. As important, fitness helps your child right now in their academic and social life, as well as the obvious physical benefits. Learning is enhanced when the mind is relaxed and stress is lowered. Exercise is one of the better ways to reduce stress and its effects on the mind. Regular exercise helps oxygenate the brain and maintain improved cardiovascular health. These benefits support brain functioning as your child meets the challenges of education.
Step 1: Look at Yourself. Sometimes the answer to what is not going the way we want in our child’s life has an answer in a behavior or lifestyle change that parents can initiate. Children absorb their surroundings, even if they seem oblivious. So modeling (actually doing) the behavior you hope to see in your child is a good start. Ask yourself “Am I getting the exercise and outdoor activity that I desire for myself?” If the answer is yes, bravo! Now, ask yourself “Is there any way that I can better involve my child in these activities?” If you are not getting the exercise you need for your optimum help, then that is a good place to start making a change. And your child will notice. Make sure they do by keeping them in the loop. “See you in 15 minutes, Joey, I’m going to do my yoga stretches now.”
Step 2: Create Rewarding Opportunities. As most seasoned parents know, modeling desirable fitness behavior may not be enough to see real changes in the here and now in your child. For instance, how many moms have time to play video games and watch television for five hours a day? Few moms model that behavior, yet that is the average number of hours that children watch media in America.
If Step 1 is not effective, get creative about ways to do family outings that have a physical component and have a built in “reward”. By “reward”, I mean that the family members feel good about the experience overall. It may be that a favorite friend or family member is invited along for a hike in a local park. It may mean that the family dines at a favorite café after the family plays basketball together on the high school court.
Do it regularly. It will become a new pattern. There are hundreds of potential ideas to mindfully create opportunities that positively reinforce physical, mental and social fitness.
Working with physicians and psychologists at a major medical center, former teacher and mediator, Pennie Sempell, JD, ACMT specializes in integrative healing arts and mind-body therapies. She has written, performed and produced award-winning programs for children with a focus on health literacy. www.HealthierHappierLife.com.
