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The Importance of Excitement in Your Child’s Exercise Routine

March 31, 2010 by

Getting obese children to lose weight can be tough – children more easily lose interest with the fat-burning activities that adults typically have the self-control and focus to do on a regular basis.  Treadmills, weight machines, and other types of exercise equipment are simply too repetitive to keep the interest of kids and teens these days.

Movies and video games are so fast-paced nowadays that any successful plan for getting your kid to exercise has to bring in the element of fun; there has to be a purpose for the physical activity, some objective in all the huffing and sweating besides just doing something that is healthy.  Most parents simply aren’t able to keep up with their kids’ youthful, energetic cravings for stimulating activity.  A weight loss camp for kids is a great solution for parents who feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of providing their kids with entertaining exercise opportunities.

There is, after all, only so much a parent can do.  Most adults consider themselves lucky if they have time to go for a walk a few times a week.  Getting your children to go on such walks with you is a great start to getting them excited about exercise, but most children crave more – things like walking through the woods and identifying wildlife – and while most parents can do these things occasionally, it is nearly impossible to keep up with a child’s curiosity.

How often are you able to take your kids swimming?  This activity is great exercise, and, even if you are able to go with your kids once a week, they could always benefit from the opportunity to swim more often.

There are other ways you can get your child to engage in calorie-burning activities too.  Think of ways to turn tasks around the house into goal-oriented exercise, assigning chores or paying for help around the house with things like walking the dog.

Any kind of game involving the whole family can be a source of exercise.  Even if there does not appear to be much movement involved in the game, simple activities like talking and laughing are great for your heart.  Consider buying your child a bike if he or she doesn’t already have one.  Bikes make exercise fun by giving your child a sense of freedom with every fat-burning turn of the pedals.

Every child is tempted to laze about in front of the TV when a friend comes over; it is your responsibility to make sure they are physically active.  Take them to the park, the mall, or whatever you think might interest them.

In the end, it is tough to beat the outdoors when it comes to keeping teens and kids active.  Camping, whether at summer weight loss camps or just with the family, provides a lot of physically engaging tasks that must be completed, like building a fire, pitching a tent, collecting wood and kindling, and keeping the campsite clean.

Ultimately, both weight loss camps and family activities use a similar tactic in getting kids to lose weight: group involvement.  Feeling good about yourself and feeling like you belong to a group are essential to your success in trying to lose weight.  Whatever method you choose for getting your kids active, make sure you keep in mind their need for a feeling of involvement.

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Break the Vicious Cycle with Fitness Camps for Kids

April 21, 2009 by

Did you get your cardio in today? How about strength training? What was your most active thing you performed today? If you are into exercise, then fantastic, but the obesity and overweight numbers in our country would indicate that most of us do not exercise often enough. Our sedentary lives born out of modern convenience have created quite a few health problems for many of us.

As the saying goes, “children learn what they live” so if Mom or Dad do not approach fitness as a daily necessity, chance are the children do not either. It’s probably hard for some people to picture a child “working out,” and we rely on the exercise they get while playing to counteract all the sweets and otherwise sedentary activities.

The older our children get, the less they “play hard” especially if they are girls. This certainly isn’t always true, especially for athletically active kids. However, if you are relying on a few games and an occasional sports practice to offer your child all the exercise he or she needs, this may not be enough.

Sports are great and playing outside is great; but if you want to foster daily fitness that your child will take with them long into their adult years, then you need to make it as much of a habit as brushing their teeth. This might be difficult if you don’t already exercise, but now might be a good time to get the whole family in shape. You might consider one of our weight loss camps for kids this summer or over the next break to help, but you can get started right now!

Make it fun, but make it purposeful. If you can keep up a game of tag or football at the park for 30 minutes, then that might be an idea. Keep in mind that your child needs to develop the skills necessary to perform exercise without having others around. If your child is old enough, you might consider purchasing a used treadmill. If that’s not in the budget, then buy a $3.00 jump rope. A trampoline is rather expensive, but it might be a good family gift for the next holiday.

A fitness camp for kids is a great way to foster a healthy lifestyle. Your child will have loads of fun and will bring home tons of new activities and exercises; some of which you might just enjoy doing!

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Are Weight Loss Camps The Right Solution for Your Child?

April 14, 2009 by

Are you frustrated with your overweight or obese child? We all worry about our children and with the awareness of the growing childhood obesity epidemic, we may feel a bit panicked to help our children. Unfortunately, we sometimes create bigger problems for our children and ourselves when we turn a problem into a major issue.

Denying our children sweets may lead them to sneak or hoard snacks and desserts. Even though we don’t mean to, we may end up making them feel very badly about themselves leading them to turn to their favorite comfort food for consolation.

As well, it’s easy to make common dieting mistakes such as denying food in between meals or skipping meals. This not only lowers your child’s metabolism, but it also encourages the opportunity to overeat at the next meal. There’s a lot to know about weight loss for adults and children, but there are even more weight loss challenges when it comes to children.

A weight loss camp would allow your child an environment that fosters their weight loss needs with the training and expertise that we lack. Children are usually more responsive to other adults. They behave better for other parents when spending time at a friend’s house. They tend to listen to teachers and wouldn’t dream of throwing a fit for an instructor the way they would for you. You can stop the food battles in your home by allowing trained professionals to help. The support that a weight loss camp can offer you and your child is truly priceless.

As well, your child will be surrounded by other kids who have similar issues. Whether you are heavy or thin, your child may feel like you don’t really understand their problems. If you are thin, your child may be embarrassed about their weight issues and feel as though you couldn’t possibly understand what they are going through. If you are heavy, your child might feel as though you can relate, but can you help?

These are all issues that can be very frustrating, but they can’t be ignored. It’s imperative that we help our children now so they won’t face all of the problems that obesity has in store for them down the road. Obesity can lead to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, joint problems and even some forms of cancer. Mentally and emotionally, your child faces an uphill battle in gaining acceptance and forming a good sense of self-esteem and self-confidence.

A teen weight loss camp can set things right and give you and your child the tools you both need to overcome this obstacle.

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