Backpack
safety for kids
••
Backpack Safety
••
Tips
For Family Fitness
1. Limit sedentary
activities such as television, video games, and computer
time to 2 hours per day. Remember, TV commercials encourage
children to crave the foods they see!
2. Parents
should limit their own time in front of the television.
This will set a good example for their kids, as well provide
increased interaction time.
3. Parents
and children should exercise, such as doing sit-ups, push-ups
or running in place, while watching television (or at
least during commercials). Discourage snacking or eating
meals while watching, as well.
4. Plan weekend
family activities involving exercise, such as swimming,
bicycling, mini-golf, tennis, or bowling.
5. Help your
child plan group activities with their friends or plan
activities with friends and neighbors, such as skating
or hiking.
6. Have your
kids brainstorm a game plan of indoor activities¾such
as jumping jacks, Simon Says, or mall walking¾for
rainy or bitterly cold days.
7. Remember
that your family does not need to join a health club or
buy fancy equipment to be active. Walking is inexpensive
and easy. So is designing a backyard obstacle course.
Weights can be made from soda or detergent bottles filled
with sand or water!
8. Provide
positive rewards for your child for engaging in physical
activities, such as workout clothes, a new basketball,
or an evening of roller-skating.
9. Provide
positive feedback about your child's lifestyle changes.
Remember not to focus on the scale (for you or your child).
10. Be your
child's "exercise buddy." Plan daily walks or bike rides.
Set goals together for increasing physical activity¾not
for losing weight.
11. As you
schedule your child's extracurricular activities, remember
to plan time for exercise and activity as a priority for
the entire family. Don't just "squeeze it in."
12. Encourage
children to try individualized sports such as tennis and
swimming. Studies show such activities are the basis of
lifelong fitness habits. Source: American Physical
Therapy Association
