This post was sponsored by Boys & Girls Clubs of America as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Since childhood, I have always loved staying active. As a child, I enjoyed a ton of “free play,” something I believe children these days don’t get nearly enough time for. I didn’t participate in organized sports until 7th grade and was extremely active before that time. Whether it was swimming, ice skating, or bike riding, my mom made sure my siblings and I started active. I believe the opportunities I had as a child and the amount of free play, as well as sports that I chose to play as I grew up, have made a huge impact in not only my profession as a dietitian, but also my strong desire to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Personally I love doing just about anything outdoors, like rollerblading.
Biking…
and taking walks with my three children.
And now that I have children that are old enough to participate in many activities, I am very focused on allowing them free time play as well as introduce them to a variety of activities that get their bodies moving. We have started them biking, skating and running as soon as they could walk. And what kid doesn’t enjoy running?! Of course, having parents participating in the same activities I believe makes all the difference.
Unfortunately not everyone has the same opportunities. That’s why clubs like the Boys & Girls Clubs of America are amazing at giving children opportunities to stay active all year-round in a safe, fun and affordable environment, especially around school breaks. If you are not familiar with the Boys & Girls Clubs, they serve 4 million kids and teens each year in all areas of the country. Their mission is to enable all young people, especially who need it most, to reach their full potential. One of the ways they achieve this is through a campaign called the Triple Play Program that focuses on three pillars – mind, body and soul. It’s focused on instilling positive health and wellness habits through teaching them smart nutrition choices, how to be physically active and develop positive self-esteem.
Check out my list below of how I focus on helping my children stay active and healthy all year round. It’s much easier than you may think!
HOW TO HELP CHILDREN LEAD A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE ALL YEAR ROUND
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America – like I mentioned above, check out a local Boys & Girls Club where they have tons of activities to help children stay active, especially during school breaks.
- Be Active WITH your children – simply walking around your neighborhood is great exercise. Make it fun by pointing out different animals they may find, count mailboxes, make it a race from running driveway to driveway. And walking in the winter is absolutely doable, just dress for it!
School Fun Run where we all ran 1 mile!
- Try out new activities – ever ice skated? Try renting skates at your local ice rink and have fun at open skate!
- Go outside! It’s much easier to be active when you’re outdoors.
- Plan meals ahead of time. Check out my meal plans for simple ideas to help you plan ahead and help you avoid fast food when you’re pressed for time.
- Talk about how healthy foods make you feel with your children (e.g. healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and dairy give us energy, make us feel good versus too much unhealthy foods make us feel sluggish and just not feeling our best).
- Get your children to help with yard work: rake leaves or shovel snow. Children as young as 3 years old can help!
As you can see there are tons of ways to help your children stay active all year round. For more details on the Boys & Girls Clubs of America check out their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
This How to Encourage Children to Stay Active All Year Round post first appeared on Chocolate Slopes.
© 2017 Kristy Hegner Disclosure and Privacy Policy