|
 105.5 Triple M is proud to help out the YMCA's Activate America program to help getting kids fit. Here's some tips on how to do it.
Mom and dad are the best motivators.
As a parent, it's up to you to play the biggest part - bigger than a teacher, more important than any fitness professional. Your child looks to you for examples on how to talk, dress, act and lead a physically active - or a non-physically active - life. You can't just tell kids that being active is fun. You have to show them.
In many schools, the growing pressure to excel at the three Rs has squeezed out the equally important fourth R—running around at recess. That means it's your job to steer your kids toward more active fun when they're at home. But how's a parent to compete with the Internet and X-box? Present them with a new kind of "playstation," one that involves running, jumping and exploring.
Just remember, if your children have been very sedentary, take it slow so they can get used to moving their body. Start with just 10 to 15 minutes, and gradually increase the amount of time. And always keep it fun. Remember there's no pressure to 'perform' here. It's all about enjoyment.
Roll on out!
Everyone picks his or her favorite non-motorized wheeled vehicle, including everything from scooters and skateboards to BMX bikes and inline skates. Take a spin to your favorite park. If there's no safe route, drive there and spend extra time wheeling around. Challenge everyone to ride the straightest line they possibly can. Or have a snail race, where you line up and try to be the last one to reach a designated finish line, with no stopping or standing still allowed at any time.
Make old games new again
Play "All on one side," a volleyball game with four or five players on one side, none on the other, and a balloon for a ball. The object is to get your team to the other side of the net and back as many times as possible. Each player volleys the balloon to another person, then scoots under the net. Last player to touch the balloon taps it over the net and scoots under. The receiving players try to keep the balloon in play and repeat the process.
Give 'em dance fever
Here's a video game you will love letting them play--Dance, Dance Revolution (DDR) MAX2. Using a floor mat that looks like a rollable tic-tac-toe board, DDR MAX2 teaches kids high-energy hip-hop dance steps, as they try to mimic increasingly complicated moves, hopping from square to square in the right sequence. Most kids love it (and so do many moms and dads).
Have a ball
Whether you kick, serve, toss, volley, drive, pass, or pitch, playing ball sports improves strength, fitness, and eye-hand coordination. Start a weekly after-school "ball night" in your house, where one family member picks their favorite ball sport or game as the featured activity. Try to think beyond the usual kickball, soccer, and hoops, and try your hand at other fun ball activities like juggling, Hacky Sack, and boccie.
|
