Tips for family fitness

Childhood obesity threatens to become a national epidemic but it needn’t happen to your kids. Keep your children fit with these tips from SPORTSCO strength and fitness coach, John Gray and not only will they live longer as adults, they will also have a happier childhood.

Set an example
First and foremost, you must set an example. We all learn by example. Whether you're a parent, child, aunt, uncle or perhaps a family friend, you can be the person who motivates your loved ones to become more fit.

If you spend your evening in front of the TV, you won't inspire other family members to be more active. Set an example by making fitness a priority in your life. Parents should limit their own time in front of the television. This will set a good example for their kids as well as providing increased interaction time. Limit sedentary activities – such as television, video games and computer time to two hours per day.

Also remember, TV commercials encourage children to crave the foods they see! Discourage snacking or eating meals while watching. Plan weekend family activities involving exercise, such as swimming, bicycling, mini-golf, tennis or bowling. Join a local sports club eg. GAA, soccer, tennis and rugby. Become involved with mentoring juvenile teams that your children participate in. Make time for exercise As you schedule your child's extracurricular activities, remember to plan time for exercise and activity as a priority for the entire family. Don't just squeeze it in. Schedule a regular time during the week for physical activity.

Provide positive rewards to your child for engaging in physical activities, such as new workout clothes, a new basketball, or an evening of roller-skating.

Sneak in activity
If your family is suspicious of the whole fitness idea, you may have to family walk into an adventure. Try a treasure hunt. List 5-10 items for each child to look for on their walk. At the end of the walk, the child with the most items selected wins. Remember that your family does not need to join a health club or buy fancy equipment to be active. Walking is inexpensive and easy, so is designing a backyard obstacle course. Weights can be made from plastic bottles or detergent bottles filled with sand or water. It does not have to cost a lot of money to activate the family.

Don’t let the weather prevent you from exercising Have your kids brainstorm a game plan of indoor activities such as Jumping Jacks, Simon Says, for rainy or bitterly cold days. Twister is another good indoor activity game. For physical fitness games in the house, check out this website: www.sandyspinslade.com/fitness_tips.html Strength and Conditioning Coach John Gray (BSc) is a personal trainer for SPORTSCO. John has over 12 years experience in the industry. He specialises in bodyfat reduction and/ or building mass. If you have any queries you can contact him at dropbodyfat@gmail.com or on 086 3208433.

Tips for family fitness include fitness into their lifestyles. When buying toys for children, select those that require active participation —bikes, sports equipment, roller skates, climbing structures for toddlers and jump ropes for older children. Leisure-time events can also be planned around active recreation — a backpacking trip, a day-hike at a local park, or perhaps a bicycle or walking tour of your neighbourhood. Your family will have so much fun they probably won't even realise that they're getting fit.

Take turns selecting an activity
Take turns selecting an activity for the family to do as a group each week. This allows everyone to pick their favourite activity. Take the family out and try a game of bowling. Go to a driving range or enjoy a game of miniature golf. Go to the beach and have a kite-flying day. Visit farms throughout the year where you can pick your own strawberries, peaches and apples.

Take the family pet for a walk.
Enter a fun run or a bike-a-thon. Walk or bike to a nearby playground - challenge family members to try their skills swinging, crossing a horizontal ladder.

Make fitness fun
One reason people fail to exercise regularly is boredom. Children are very prone to boredom, so if you've chosen walking as a regular family activity, turn your