Let Them Witness the Fitness: Getting Your Kids Involved

It’s February now, so how is everyone doing on their New Year’s resolutions for health and fitness?! If you’re not where you’d like to be, I’m sure you’re not alone. Sometimes family life can be what makes it difficult for us to make our health and fitness goals a priority, because, as parents, our tendency is often to put our children’s needs ahead of our own. But why not include our children in our pursuit of health and wellness? After all, these are important life skills for them to learn, as well, and we are their primary teachers. Whether we set a good example or a bad one, our children will likely follow it. 

Let that sink in for a minute. 

The good news is that new and fresh starts are not limited to January 1st of each year; we can change course at any time. More good news is that whether we stay or stray from the course, there are ways that we can take advantage of teachable moments with our children through all of it.

Let ‘Em See You Sweat

Contrary to the antiperspirant ads, it can be good for people to see us sweat–especially if it’s our children seeing us sweat from exercise! If they never see us exercise, it can be really hard for them to understand why we are always telling them to “get off screens and go do something active.” The double standard is real, I’m afraid, and it’s good for us to recognize and address it. Sometimes the best teachable moments for our kids are the most humbling ones for us as parents. But wouldn’t it speak volumes to our children for us to say, “You know what? I’ve been staring at my phone way too long. I need to get up and do something active, too!”

Be Honest

Whether healthy choices are easy or difficult for us, it’s important for us to share this information with our children. Statements such as “I reeeeeally want to eat another slice of pizza right now, but I’m going to wait a while to see if I’m actually still hungry” or “I don’t feel like exercising today, but I know I’ll feel better if I do” can make quite an impression on our kids. They can see that we, too, struggle with making good choices, and that can help them feel empowered and not alone. Even a statement like “I know it’s not healthy to eat this every day, but WOW, I really enjoyed that slice of cake!” can be helpful in teaching our kids about moderation.

Do It Together

I imagine all of us can testify to the impact that partnership and accountability can have on reaching goals, so why not include our kids in our health and fitness goals? We can ask them to encourage us and help us all make good eating choices, involve them in the meal-planning process, plan activities together that get us all moving, or even challenge each other to physical feats (A little competition can be quite the motivator!). A healthy lifestyle is best enjoyed with others, so let’s get the whole family involved.  

Try, Try Again

Perfection should never be the goal, because it’s just not attainable. We will fall short, give in, get lazy, or make bad choices at times, but that doesn’t mean we should give up altogether. And our children will greatly benefit from observing our perseverance through inevitable ups and downs. Verbally acknowledging when we have made bad decisions or lost motivation is a good practice–a refreshing one, even. Doing so can help us regain perspective while also demonstrating to our children that setbacks do not have to equal failure.

Involving the entire family in matters of health and fitness can have great benefits for everyone, and it’s never too late to get started! It doesn’t have to be overwhelming, and things don’t have to change overnight. Even small steps can lead to good habits. And incorporating teachable moments with our kids along the way might be the best habit of all.