Apart from the emotional and psychological damage which can result from other kids ridiculing your child, there are other more immediate health concerns related to childhood obesity such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and of course, heart disease. In fact, obesity has also been linked to asthma, breast cancer, premature menstruation, and even certain orthopedic problems such as hip displacement and knee fractures. The sad truth is; all of these conditions can be prevented in the first place, simply by eating properly and by getting regular exercise. However, one should bear in mind that a diet which focuses entirely of cutting back calories won’t only get rid of fat, but it’ll get rid of muscle as well. Furthermore, such diets have the potential to weaken children, which then in turn can cause their metabolism to slow down.

On the other hand, a kid’s fitness program actually helps to boost metabolism and what’s more, it does so on a 24 hour basis. In fact, providing kids are getting regular exercise, their bodies will continue to burn fat, even when they’re playing their favorite computer game.

Not sure how to encourage your child to get active? Well, here are some of Wert’s ideas for enticing kids who are accustomed to leading a sedentary lifestyle:

Making kids fitness fun: Essentially, you need to find activities which kids not only enjoy, but ones they can actually do well. Obviously, if a child can’t succeed with a particular exercise, then they’ll simply feel as though they’re a failure. For example, while skiing, snow boarding, ice skating and etcetera may be great for some; they may prove too much for others. In that case, you could suggest cycling, hiking or even walking. In fact, why not ask your child what they would like to do?

Encourage the whole family to join in: That’s right, brothers, sisters and parents should all join in and get involved with your kids fitness program. Remember, if you as a parent views exercise as chore, your kids will soon pick up on it and as a result, they will also try to avoid it. Furthermore, if you single out your child and force them to do regular exercise while nobody else in the family is, they will in most cases interpret it as being a form of punishment. In any case, when last did you all join in and do something as a family?

Home circuit training: No, you don’t need a top-of-the-range home gym. After all, we all have a few cans of food in our homes, just as we all have some furniture. In fact, using everyday items for training purposes can be great fun, particularly if you designate certain areas of the home as work stations for doing specific exercises.

Let’s dance: Let’s face it, everyone loves dancing to go ahead and turn your living room into a nightclub. Turn up the volume and get those bodies moving. Yes, some may think it’s a little strange but I can assure you, it’s a great way for encouraging some good cardiovascular exercise.

Schoolyard game can still be enjoyed by one and all. Games such as Tag and Touch Football are great aerobic games which can be played outside by everyone in the family. In fact, you can even invite your neighbors and their neighbors along as well, thus making it a big fun filled social event. Of course, as parents we not be as fit as some of the kids bur providing they’re having fun, they’ll hardly even notice you gasping for breath.

Of course, if the weather doesn’t permit such outdoor activities, you can all move indoors for a round or two of crab soccer. Simply get down in what you can imaging to be a crab position and then with your feet, teams have to try to get the ball past each other. Remember though, in the height of the moment, things are easily bumped over and broken so be sure to clear the area first.

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