Last Updated on Wednesday, 06 July 2011 08:23

The best way to prevent your kids from getting heart related illnesses is to teach them a healthy lifestyle now. And a great place to start is at home!

With obesity rates amongst teens and even younger children steadily climbing it’s time to urge parents, grandparents and carers to get active with their kids.

We all want our kids to be happy and healthy and to give them a head start in life. And we can achieve this by helping them make the best choices when it comes to food and physical activity. Teaching kids healthy habits in childhood can make a difference in not only their body weight and health now, but also in later life – plus help ward off diseases including heart disease and diabetes.

Weight gain is chronic and rising in the UK. Being overweight or obese is a serious problem – today over 20% of our children fall into this category, which puts them at a greater risk of heart disease and diabetes than ever before. There can also be social and psychological issues with overweight or even underweight kids – they tend to have lower self confidence levels and are at risk of being bullied by other children.

Research tells us growing kids need to do at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per day for good health, plus spend less than two hours surfing the net, watching TV or playing computer games. It’s also known that children who have screens in their bedrooms (TV’s computers and video games) are more likely to develop weight issues.

Getting kids active works best as part of an overall family lifestyle.

This means that not only parents but grandparents and carers need to play an important part in helping and encouraging healthy eating, physical activity and a healthy weight. It’s here that small, consistent changes can have a big payoff in later life.

You Can Get Active

Being active as a family everyday is hard, but try to make time – perhaps start with a couple of days a week – to do something together. Go to the park with a ball or a kite, go for a country walk or visit gardens where kids can run, walk, play and explore. Swimming is another way that kids can keep fit and have fun – in a pool, lake, stream or at the beach – and it’s good for your activity levels too.

Outdoor play is often active play and some kids are more motivated when they have a friend or two. Encourage them to play outdoors and invent games, such as a mini-olympics, or practice a sport like basketball or soccer. They can also try simple activities like such as kicking a football, throwing a Frisbee, running or cycling.

Organised exercise can work better for some kids. Get them to try different sports and activities to find one they enjoy. Local sports clubs, youth clubs, dance and drama groups are a great way for kids to meet friends and be social, while keeping active.

On The Rainy Days

Wet weather can be hard for parents and carers but games such as Simon Says, that have and activity theme and follow the leader are always favourites.

You could organise a treasure hunt, or get older kids to set it up, by hiding treasure and writing clues on how to find them – you also be encouraging kids to use their imaginations and creativity. Or try a scavenger hunt, played teams or just by one or two. Give the kids a list of items to scavenge inside – the ideas are endless – balls, a ribbon, a doll, a pen, toothbrush etc. And don’t forget interactive high energy video games that encourage dancing, jumping or running on the spot – these are terrific for reducing boredom levels and using up some of that restless energy. Always think fun and play when getting kids active. So try some of these out and have fun getting the whole family involved.

Why Activity?

Regular exercise will:

• Promote healthy growth and development
• Promote better heart health
• Build strong bones and muscles
• Improve balance and develop coordination skills.
• Maintain and develop flexibility
• Help achieve and maintain a healthier weight
• Improve fitness
• Help relaxation
• Improve posture
• Provide opportunities to make friends
• Improve self esteem
• Improve concentration at school.

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