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Plan Early to Head Off Obesity

10 Tips for Daily Physical Activity

By Rae Pica

Take part in physical activity – cheerfully – yourself. Get the whole family involved.

Instead, take the children to parks, playgrounds, beaches and on hikes during vacations and weekends. At amusement parks they'll just stand in lines and then sit on rides.

Don't send the wrong message about physical activity by endlessly circling the parking lot for the spot closest to the door. Instead, make a game out of parking as far from the door as possible and finding different ways to get to it (walking backward, tiptoeing, jogging or skipping, etc.).

When it's time for gift-giving, select items such as hula-hoops, balls in a variety of shapes, sizes and textures, roller skates, a wading pool or a swing set. When shopping for games, a physical game such as Twister has more to offer than a board game. And CDs with lively music are a better choice than movies.

While organized sports are a great way for kids to get active, don't expect them to take care of all your child's physical activity needs. Oftentimes there's more waiting than moving in organized, adult-directed games. So be sure your child is getting enough exercise off the field, too.

If your child's school doesn't have a physical education program, fight to get it back! If the program is in danger of being cut, fight to keep physical education and recess in your child's school or future school. Research shows that, among other things, physical activity contributes to a better attitude toward school and improves academic achievement and test scores.

Make sure your child associates physical activity with FUN! By playing tag, hide and seek or even jumping your sillies out, your child won't even realize he's getting a workout.

Want to see more?

• Making Fitness a Family Issue: Setting You and Your Children on the Path to Health
• Child's Play: Combining Fitness and Fun
• The Terrible Dangers of Childhood Obesity: An Excerpt
• Check out our Article Library.
• Talk about it!

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