You know that family that always seems to stay so healthy and fit? What is it about your lifestyle that you are not doing to keep your family fit? Most of the time it is simply a matter of having a more complete health education. Here are seven ways you can educate yourself and your family to make health and fitness a priority.
1. Work as a team
To involve the whole family, it is necessary to increase their participation. Giving everyone a voice leads to more participation. Sit down as a family to discuss your lifestyle choices and set some healthy goals that you can work on as a team.
2. Don’t starve
Most diets are very restrictive and cause people to simply eat less. When you don’t eat well, your body starts producing the hormone ghrelin, which makes you hungry. The result is that you end up indulging in unhealthy foods when you could have simply eaten lots of healthy snacks, like almonds or carrots, throughout the day.
3. Automatic meals
As Americans, we are famous for skipping the most important meal of the day. The reason breakfast is so important is because it’s the first thing you’ve eaten in 8-9 hours and determines your hunger levels throughout the day. Instead, choose a few quick and easy breakfast and lunch staples and eat them every day. Use dinner as your meal to get creative.
4. 30 minutes a day
Try to get 30 minutes of exercise every day, if you can at home. If you have to drive somewhere to exercise, it will be harder for you to keep up every day. If necessary, split the 30 minutes into two sessions of light, gentle exercise such as walking, running, bicycling, bodyweight resistance exercises, and weight training.
5. Be the decision maker
When it comes to food, whatever you buy, your kids will eat. If you buy them chips and cookies, they (and probably you too) will eat them. After this, if you try to restrict them, it will make them crave those unhealthy foods even more. Instead, avoid bringing those foods into the house to begin with. Keep fresh, chopped fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator, and keep nuts, pretzels, and other healthy snacks on hand.
6. Have dinner together
The simple ritual of sitting down together as a family for a late-night meal places nutrition and proper eating habits high on your family’s values. Additionally, this simple act has been shown to improve parent-child relationships and increase academic achievement.
7. Play together
An important part of your exercise regimen should be pure, unadulterated play. Whether that means putting on music and dancing, kicking around a soccer ball, horseplay, or anything that brings out your inner child.