Looking for exercise program for kids
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I_am_the_Cosmos wrote: »30kgin2017 wrote: »TBH sounds like you and your wife need to get on the same page, you mentioned they are your older daughters so I assume theres another kid or two younger than them so maybe your wife has her hands full. Not to sound mean but do you facilitate time for your wife to exercise if she wanted to, or even a hobby that she would like to persue. You sound a bit like my husband who falls into the authoritarian parenting style that he disliked in his own Dad but is what he knows. We have conflicting parenting styles having come from different backgrounds.
Back to kids and exercise, just keep trying. See what their friends do for exercise/activities. If they like drama maybe dance or circus training would be up their alley. My husband and I have made a conscious effort proirtise each others fitness goals (previously we struggled to get a schedule where both of us could achieve our goals but that also might be because kids are a bit older now so are less hands on/less constant supervision required), I've found that our kids are much more interested in joining mum for a run or using the home gym like dad does now that they can see both parents being active. Now days the struggle is there is not a single day in our house where someone doesnt have something on so our house can look like a bomb has hit it but thats a different struggle....
That's fair. I also come from an authoritarian background and a house. My father went through a mid-life crisis and got into incredible shape: however from age 11 to when I moved out there was basically only healthy food in the house, and never snacks of any kind. And I do have three daughters ages 10, 7 and soon to be 3 so I admit that she does have her hands full. I do try to help out as much as i can but I also work a lot and between work and commuting I'm gone by 7 AM and getting home around 7 PM. So there is probably some truth in that.
My daughters do dance once a week, but personally I don't see that as enough. They also do theater and the middle one does martial arts twice a week. As I'm writing all this I'm thinking I really need to focus on their eating habits.
Thanks for the advice.
Do they have any interest in tumbling/gymnastics? Do you have a SkyZone nearby?0 -
I_am_the_Cosmos wrote: »That's fair. I also come from an authoritarian background and a house. My father went through a mid-life crisis and got into incredible shape: however from age 11 to when I moved out there was basically only healthy food in the house, and never snacks of any kind. And I do have three daughters ages 10, 7 and soon to be 3 so I admit that she does have her hands full. I do try to help out as much as i can but I also work a lot and between work and commuting I'm gone by 7 AM and getting home around 7 PM. So there is probably some truth in that.
My daughters do dance once a week, but personally I don't see that as enough. They also do theater and the middle one does martial arts twice a week. As I'm writing all this I'm thinking I really need to focus on their eating habits.
Thanks for the advice.
So of your three kids the 7 year old does physical activity three days a week, all three do dance once a week, and I'm assuming the two oldest do theater? I suspect you're on the verge of pushing too much for no logical reason, especially with the middle kid. Really, just emphasize play (especially with the 3 year old) and stop talking to them about needing to eat healthy food. Also, note that you more or less contradicted your first post,
Your middle child clearly does do quite a lot and I suspect your oldest child is exercising enough as well. Also it sounds like you won't necessarily be doing a whole lot with them during the workweek given your schedule. If you're getting home around 7 I'm assuming that's around dinner time and I can't imagine your daughters go to bed terribly late. Maybe add another day of dance in for the oldest, but I see no need to forewarn about healthy eating (that sounds like a recipe for disaster) or take away treats. Just gradually change the way you eat (though like others said, you're probably not doing much of the cooking so you're going to have to work that out with your wife) and don't ban anything outright.Does anyone have any recommendations for exercise programs for kids, specifically girls ages 7 and 10? My older two daughters aren't into sports and don't really DO much of anything. I was hoping for something not too strenuous for a half hour a day to do with them.4 -
^ I second all this.0
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My older son is a mindless eater and tends to put on weight if we aren't careful. He likes activity, but not organized sports. Tbh what is most helpful is for us to keep calorie dense snacks (cookies, cheez-its, pretzels) out of the house and provide healthy balanced dinners. We keep fruit in the house for them to snack on and limit treats, but don't call it a diet. Doctor also recommended limiting calorie dense foods in order to teach healthy eating habits.0
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I didn't read all the responses, so forgive me if any of this is a repeat. I have 5 kids (blended family) from 7-19.
My youngest is a yoga freak. He really took to it when he was doing soccer, and now that he's into karate, he stuck with it. He also has one of those blow up punching bags, that counts where you hit and gives you points. He loves that.
My 8 year old girl is a couch potato, but I can normally convince her to help me walk the dogs, because she likes being useful and bragging that she did something nobody else does.
My 9 year old girl is obsessed with gymnastics ever since the summer olympics, so with her I look up different stretches we can do together, or set up a DIY balance beam from old 2x4s and we make up our own routines and score each other.
The 14 year old girl, I give her $10 and ask if she'll walk to the store and grab random things (it's around 1.5 miles away).
19 year old boy, (no job, no drivers license rule) is pretty much stuck riding his bike to friends houses etc.
We also have a family contest around once a week that my husband loves because he ALWAYS wins. We all do as many push ups as we can in a rep, and the winner gets to pick what's for dinner the next night.
So basically, I found out what they are interested in a figured out how to make it work for them, or straight up trick them like the teenagers.2 -
I suggest you start daily walks/hikes/bike rides as a family. So not a routine, but something that gets them up and moving, but along with the family. If they see others doing it they would be more apt to themselves0
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I_am_the_Cosmos wrote: »It's actually nice today, but usually winter where I'm at isn't the best time to go bike riding and outdoors. During spring/summer I do try to get them outside, but they don't seem to be big into sports in that way.
The ten year old already feels she's "too old" for the park per se...
Look on YouTube for exercise videos. Tae Bo is fairly straight forward, can you learn it together? There is a kids video by Billy Blanks, but if your daughter is too old for the park, she will be too old for Tae Bo Kicks.
Leslie Sansone has simple "walking" style videos. This may be more your style than theirs.....if they like dance Leslie Sansone will be pretty boring. You could also try Jessica Smith walking videos. She has some labeled "dance walk." Jessica also has kickboxing videos too.0 -
My girls really like cosmic yoga. Its on YouTube. She does like the entire movie of frozen and Moana through yoga. Its not intense but fun!2
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I_am_the_Cosmos wrote: »That's fair. I also come from an authoritarian background and a house. My father went through a mid-life crisis and got into incredible shape: however from age 11 to when I moved out there was basically only healthy food in the house, and never snacks of any kind. And I do have three daughters ages 10, 7 and soon to be 3 so I admit that she does have her hands full. I do try to help out as much as i can but I also work a lot and between work and commuting I'm gone by 7 AM and getting home around 7 PM. So there is probably some truth in that.
My daughters do dance once a week, but personally I don't see that as enough. They also do theater and the middle one does martial arts twice a week. As I'm writing all this I'm thinking I really need to focus on their eating habits.
Thanks for the advice.
So of your three kids the 7 year old does physical activity three days a week, all three do dance once a week, and I'm assuming the two oldest do theater? I suspect you're on the verge of pushing too much for no logical reason, especially with the middle kid. Really, just emphasize play (especially with the 3 year old) and stop talking to them about needing to eat healthy food. Also, note that you more or less contradicted your first post,
Your middle child clearly does do quite a lot and I suspect your oldest child is exercising enough as well. Also it sounds like you won't necessarily be doing a whole lot with them during the workweek given your schedule. If you're getting home around 7 I'm assuming that's around dinner time and I can't imagine your daughters go to bed terribly late. Maybe add another day of dance in for the oldest, but I see no need to forewarn about healthy eating (that sounds like a recipe for disaster) or take away treats. Just gradually change the way you eat (though like others said, you're probably not doing much of the cooking so you're going to have to work that out with your wife) and don't ban anything outright.Does anyone have any recommendations for exercise programs for kids, specifically girls ages 7 and 10? My older two daughters aren't into sports and don't really DO much of anything. I was hoping for something not too strenuous for a half hour a day to do with them.
Then it has to be simply food, as I think it out. It also FEELS like she doesn't do a lot. A lot of it is that I can't figure why she got so chubby over the last year. Her dance classes are rather short, and when I've attended them they don't seem very active. (She does tap). The karate is admittedly a bit better.
It's going to be hard to confront the wife.
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I_am_the_Cosmos wrote: »I_am_the_Cosmos wrote: »That's fair. I also come from an authoritarian background and a house. My father went through a mid-life crisis and got into incredible shape: however from age 11 to when I moved out there was basically only healthy food in the house, and never snacks of any kind. And I do have three daughters ages 10, 7 and soon to be 3 so I admit that she does have her hands full. I do try to help out as much as i can but I also work a lot and between work and commuting I'm gone by 7 AM and getting home around 7 PM. So there is probably some truth in that.
My daughters do dance once a week, but personally I don't see that as enough. They also do theater and the middle one does martial arts twice a week. As I'm writing all this I'm thinking I really need to focus on their eating habits.
Thanks for the advice.
So of your three kids the 7 year old does physical activity three days a week, all three do dance once a week, and I'm assuming the two oldest do theater? I suspect you're on the verge of pushing too much for no logical reason, especially with the middle kid. Really, just emphasize play (especially with the 3 year old) and stop talking to them about needing to eat healthy food. Also, note that you more or less contradicted your first post,
Your middle child clearly does do quite a lot and I suspect your oldest child is exercising enough as well. Also it sounds like you won't necessarily be doing a whole lot with them during the workweek given your schedule. If you're getting home around 7 I'm assuming that's around dinner time and I can't imagine your daughters go to bed terribly late. Maybe add another day of dance in for the oldest, but I see no need to forewarn about healthy eating (that sounds like a recipe for disaster) or take away treats. Just gradually change the way you eat (though like others said, you're probably not doing much of the cooking so you're going to have to work that out with your wife) and don't ban anything outright.Does anyone have any recommendations for exercise programs for kids, specifically girls ages 7 and 10? My older two daughters aren't into sports and don't really DO much of anything. I was hoping for something not too strenuous for a half hour a day to do with them.
Then it has to be simply food, as I think it out. It also FEELS like she doesn't do a lot. A lot of it is that I can't figure why she got so chubby over the last year. Her dance classes are rather short, and when I've attended them they don't seem very active. (She does tap). The karate is admittedly a bit better.
It's going to be hard to confront the wife.
Is your middle girl hitting puberty? Weight gain is SUPER common around then, and it is also the easiest time to give them a complex, because so much change is going on with them that they can't control, food and excercise can often become something they OVER control.1 -
Is your middle girl hitting puberty? Weight gain is SUPER common around then, and it is also the easiest time to give them a complex, because so much change is going on with them that they can't control, food and excercise can often become something they OVER control.[/quote]
God I hope not: she's only seven. My 10 year old is built a bit different but has a 'pot belly'. I do NOT make any remarks towards her in any way, as I don't want her getting any sort of complex. She's a great kid and getting near 'that age' and I don't want to hurt her feelings in any way like that.
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I_am_the_Cosmos wrote: »Hi,
Does anyone have any recommendations for exercise programs for kids, specifically girls ages 7 and 10? My older two daughters aren't into sports and don't really DO much of anything. I was hoping for something not too strenuous for a half hour a day to do with them. I'll probably do it with them as I fully believe if it's good enough for them it should be good enough for me.
Play! Have fun!
Get them bicycles, ride to the park, play tag, swing on the swings, toss a ball or Frisbee around.
Take them for walks and hikes to look at things ... maybe take pictures of things.
Go swimming.
Get outside and have some fun.
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not_a_runner wrote: »They're kids..
Ride bikes, play outside, go swimming, etc.
Pushing them to do an "exercise program" might not give the right impression.
Instead of telling them to eat healthier, perhaps prepare healthier foods in a way that also tastes good?
Some kids even enjoy getting involved with cooking.
Yes this!!0 -
I_am_the_Cosmos wrote: »It's actually nice today, but usually winter where I'm at isn't the best time to go bike riding and outdoors. During spring/summer I do try to get them outside, but they don't seem to be big into sports in that way.
The ten year old already feels she's "too old" for the park per se...
Get them onto cross-country skis, skates, snowshoes ... try a bunch of things.
Or there's always sledding. I used to spend all afternoon sledding down a local hill, then climbing back up again, then sledding down and climbing back up again ... that's certainly active! And nobody told me to do it ... I did it because it was so much fun!
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Riding, bikes, roller skating, hiking, hula hooping with dance movements to music. Do stuff with them, go slow at first, and don't call it exercise. Also, yard work, getting yard spaceready to plant a flower or veggie garden of veggies they like. Set a good example, and make it fun.0
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Do you have spare space in your house or garage? Some friends of mine turned part of their garage into a mini dance studio for their girls! Large mirrors, put down some flooring, plus added a stereo.
Also (another one that needs some space) I have found table tennis to be a bit hit with kids and adults alike. We had one for a while and the kids were having a great time with or without parental support, plus when their friends were there, there was no asking for screens. Sadly, that table was only on loan, but we are looking into getting our own once our current renovation project is complete.
And it can become a very physical, competitive sport too - I have a niece and nephew who compete and I have watched some of their training and tournaments, and it's pretty full on.0 -
swimming,. martial arts, base/softball, rowing..dancing.0
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We swim at the YMCA , go to park and they want me to time them running to a tree and back , play soccer in the yard. My 7 year old actually enjoys power walking with me while listening to music. I would love for them to bike more. My oldest is on an elite swim team so works out 1.5 hour 3 x a week in pool. My 7 year old to start soccer soon. Two girls ages 7 and 9.1
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It might be late for this year but Girls on the Run is a great program for girls0
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Do you have spare space in your house or garage? Some friends of mine turned part of their garage into a mini dance studio for their girls! Large mirrors, put down some flooring, plus added a stereo.
Also (another one that needs some space) I have found table tennis to be a bit hit with kids and adults alike. We had one for a while and the kids were having a great time with or without parental support, plus when their friends were there, there was no asking for screens. Sadly, that table was only on loan, but we are looking into getting our own once our current renovation project is complete.
And it can become a very physical, competitive sport too - I have a niece and nephew who compete and I have watched some of their training and tournaments, and it's pretty full on.
Do you play round robin? That can really get things moving along.0
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