by Sherrell Dorsey of Ogranic Beauty Vixen We know what the media says, that our kids our fat and we aren’t any better. Diabetes, obesity and our overall health are increasingly getting worse in this country. So let’s stand up to the statistics and work on living healthier, better and stronger lives for ourselves and for our children.
Whether your child is a little on the pudgy side or you simply want to instill healthy values into their lives, here’s a few fun activities that will get your family active while also encouraging strong bonds.
1. Trampoline – It may be a lot of fun reaching for the stars on the trampoline but it’s also a hidden workout targeting your abs, buns, thighs and hips. Not to mention, you’ll get a kick out of bouncing each other around.
2. Tennis – I never did learn to play tennis but I sure have it on my bucket-list of things to try before I leave this earth. Take tennis or any other athletics that you never got to try and embark upon it with your kids. Tennis is fun, competitive and gets you moving.
3. Zumba Class – It’s not just for middle-aged women looking for a great time and some aerobics. Zumba combines Latin influence with dance, exercise and a whole lotta fun. Let the kiddies join in and sign up for a class one to two times per week for fun exercise that will allow you to dance your butt off.
4. Michael Jackson Experience on Wii – I live for the MJ experience on wii. I recently got to experience one of my favorite stars of all time by dancing with him on the TV screen and jamming with my friends. This is one investment in a video game that I agree with. Sweat until you drop with your little one’s and the king of pop.
5. Twister – Kick it back old school with the original yoga for kids. Make it family time by laying out the mat and spinning until you pass out from giggling, active movement and stretching and quality time you’re kids will always enjoy.
What do you like to do with your kids to get active?
Sherrell Dorsey is a natural beauty expert, writer, speaker and advocate of health, wellness and sustainability in communities of color. In addition to creating OrganicBeautyVixen.com, Sherrell writes beauty articles for Tyra Banks’s beauty and fashion site TypeF.com, Jones Magazine, MySalonScoop.com and Posh Beauty. Follow Sherrell on twitter at www.twitter.com/organicvixen and connect with her on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/
Enroll your children in classes! Theres any and everything available, dancing, gymnastics, karate, soccer, it gives children hobbies and helps establish their identity.
I loveee this post, its so important to encourage healthier living. However kids have very short attention spans. Thats why as parents, we have to take the time to learn our children as individuals. My five year old step daughter is a girly girl and doesnt like to sweat, but she loves to dance so I'll put in a hip hop dance dvd or a yoga dvd and she'll do thr dances and poses right with me. Just the other day I was teaching her my old cheers from high school. My stepson is a fighter and he lovesss star wars movies, so me and my hubby went to walmart, bought lightsabers for all of us and we act out the fights lol
Love Zumba.
Interesting that the pic you used is of a family playing cricket. It's a baseball-like game originally from England and really big in former English colonies (except a few niches in USA) – Caribbean, India, SAfrica, Australia, etc…
Great suggestions. I have mother daughter duos in my Zumba classes all the time. They laugh, have a great time, get a great work out and most importantly spend time together. They love it! If you haven't tried it, give it a shot!
Thats hilarious that you added MJ EXPERIENCE lol But it does get you up and moving.
All great suggestions…. except for the trampoline! As an ER doc, every year we see at least 10-15 cases of children with serious spinal cord injuries sustained while playing on trampolines. Would also advise against ATVs.
Hulahooping
Biking
Hiking
Simply taking a walk around the park or block
Are also excellent and fun ways to increase the activity level and bond
Great article. I took tennis starting when I was 4 and it was a fun and great way to stay active. Plus, kids seem to have a natural knack for the game. I miss playing. Haven't swung a racket in some years 🙁
Great suggestions! We tried the Michael Jackson Experience for the first time and had so much fun laughing and dancing, and we sure did work up a sweat. My Y has a Family Zumba class that I did with my little sister who was 12 at the time, and she got a kick out of it.
Thank you for this! I am a teacher, and it breaks my heart when I see overweight kids, but their mom's are all done up, hair all done (that's another topic!). All kids do is watch tv and play video games. I ask what their moms are doing, and they say on the phone, getting hair done, watching tv, etc. Women need to get more active for their health, as well as for their kids and with them. Whole family can get fit. I have my students take exercise breaks and I play with them at recess. Start off with a walk and talk about what happened at school that day. Go biking. Play catch. Anything to get yourself and your kids moving.