People often find my website using search phrases such as “Exercise plans for overweight children”, “Exercises for obesity”, or “Exercise DVD’s for overweight children”. So what are the best kinds of exercises for children—especially children who are overweight or lazy? The answer is THE ONES THEY ENJOY!
Exercise should be fun for kids. They are not miniature adults, but parents often want to make them follow adult-type exercise programs. Some children, especially those who are extroverts, may enjoy team sports such as soccer, football, or volleyball. Very shy children or those who are introverts may avoid exercises that involve lots of other children. If they are self-conscious about their weight or starting puberty, they may avoid any team sport where they are forced to undress in front of their peers, fearing the teasing or stares that are sure to come.
The shy child might prefer an activity where he can spend more time with a parent, such as walking, jogging, riding bikes, shooting hoops, playing catch, rollerblading, bowling, or golf. Wearing a pedometer and keeping a pedometer journal will help motivate him to be more active. Try different activities with him, and see which ones he gets excited about. If he seems to be especially passionate about an activity such as golf, tennis, or ballroom dancing, arrange for a few private lessons if you can afford it. You may see your child start to “blossom” right before your eyes!
Other activities your child might enjoy are martial arts (it teaches discipline too!), boxing, tap, ballet, or modern jazz dancing, or swimming.
If you need activities for indoors, try jumping rope or a video on hip hop dancing or Tai Chi.
According to a chart Exercise for weight loss: Calories burned in 1 hour on the Mayo Clinic website, the number of calories burned in 1 hour by a person weighing 160 pounds are:
• Running – 986
• Rollerblading – 913
• Rope jumping or Tae Kwan do – 730
• Stair treadmill – 657 (probably not much fun for a child!)
• Jogging, 5mph; basketball game; football (touch, flag, general); or tennis singles-584
If your child is not already active, start with about 30 minutes of mild exercise every night and gradually increase the time and intensity of the activities. Have your child keep an exercise journal, writing down the activity, time spent, and how it made him feel (smiley face or sad face). Ask why he felt sad or happy doing the activity. Listen to his concerns without passing judgment.
By helping your child find physical activities he enjoys or can excel in, you are making a valuable contribution to his health and quality of life!
August 21st, 2008
Hi! My name is Bev Grey, but my readers know me as Grandma. I’m founder and president of Grandma’s Healthy Kids Club, a program to help children lose weight safely or just improve their eating and exercise habits for better health and more energy.
My blog will feature articles that I’ve had published, suggestions for exercise, recipes or links to recipe sites as well as links to websites that help children or adults improve their health and their lives. I also welcome comments from health care professionals, parents, and children.
Be sure to come by frequently to see what’s new!
August 17th, 2008
“Worry is like a rocking chair. It will give you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere.” - The United Church Observer
Do you worry about being teased or humiliated about your weight? Do you worry about people looking at you funny when you try to exercise? Do you worry about not having the will power to resist fattening or extra-sweet foods?
As the above quote says, “worry won’t get you anywhere”. The only solution is to take positive action.
Most of the things we worry about never happen anyway. Think back to the things you worried about 3 years ago. Can you even remember what they were? How many of the things you worried about really happened, and if they did happen, you got through them, didn’t you?
Every time you start to worry, take some kind of positive action instead. Keep a jumping rope handy, and if you find yourself starting to worry about something, jump rope for a couple of minutes. If you don’t have a jumping rope handy, go take a five minute walk in one direction, then turn around and come back.
If you worry about not having the will power to resist unhealthy foods, take positive action. Stay away from all-you-can-eat buffets and eat where you will have to choose something from the menu. If portion sizes are too large, ask for a carry-out box at the beginning of your meal, and immediately put half of your food in the box for tomorrow’s lunch.
Better still, learn to cook delicious foods that are low in fat and sugar. Check out some low-fat or low-sugar cookbooks at the library, or search the web for recipes. Your whole family will benefit by improving their health!
Instead of worrying, take positive action to improve you health and weight. You CAN do it!
August 17th, 2008
If you want to burn the most calories in the shortest time, try running (986), rollerblading(913), tae kwon do or jumping rope (730). According to the chart on the Mayo Clinic website, those are the 3 forms of exercise that will make you slimmer faster.
More moderate forms of calorie-burning are tai chi (292), bicycling at a leisurely 10 MPH (292), ballroom dancing (219), and walking (277 at 3.5 MPH).
To see the complete list, go to
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/SM00109
August 16th, 2008
The school day is over. Your kids come home starved. They head for the fridge and pantry, looking for something to ease the hunger pangs. Will you be prepared?
Your children may already be chubby. Diabetes and heart disease might run in your family, so you want to make sure you do everything possible to prevent your children from gaining more weight and needlessly suffering from those conditions. What arrangements have you made for after-school snacks?
Forget about cookies, candy, potato chips, snack cakes, and other high-calorie snacks. Your children need something to raise their blood sugar, give them energy, and keep them satisfied until dinner. Here are some suggestions:
-Keep a variety of fresh fruits available. Bananas, apples, oranges, pears, peaches, blueberries, strawberries, and grapes should be washed and ready to eat. Melon, pineapple, mango, and other larger fruits should be cut up and ready in the fridge (do this after dinner or while the kids are doing their homework.)
-Fruit smoothies can be purchased ready to drink, or made in the blender by combining low-fat milk, natural fruit juice or yogurt with 2 or more kinds of fruit.
-Natural fruit popsicles are delicious and cooling if you live in a hot-weather area.
-Veggie sticks with low-fat dip are crunchy and provide vitamins and minerals necessary for good health and a healthy immune system. Celery, baby carrots, cucumber, bell pepper, broccoli, and cauliflower can be dipped in low-fat ranch dressing, hummus, or natural peanut butter. Again, have the veggies washed and ready to eat.
-Whole grain or graham crackers with natural peanut butter or string cheese sticks add fiber and protein.
-Raisins, Craisins, or other dried fruits are easy to eat and delicious. Alde Grocery also sells yogurt-covered raisins, which my grandsons love
-Low-sugar or sugar-free cereals
-Yogurt
-Sugar free gelatin or pudding
-A glass of natural fruit juice or low-fat milk
-Popcorn (as long as it is not popped in oil and does not have added butter or
salt)
-Unsalted nuts or seeds such as sunflower or pumpkin.
If you do keep junk foods in your home, keep them out of sight or where the kids can’t reach them. Better yet–don’t buy them for home use at all. If you are really craving potato chips or other junk foods, buy individual servings and eat them outside the home.
Plan your children’s snacks and let them know how much they are allowed to eat so that they will be satisfied, but won’t spoil their appetite for dinner.
Make sure they have a planned activity after snack time, such as outdoor play, working out to a video, doing homework, or doing chores around the house to keep them from thinking about food.
August 14th, 2008
