Little brother

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WeightlifterJosey
WeightlifterJosey Posts: 24
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello, so I have a little brother who is 13 he is 5"2 and weighs 155lbs, I try to get him to work out with me but he always makes up excuses not to workout... Do any of you guys know what I can do to convince him to workout or make things more fun for him?
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  • puppycloud
    puppycloud Posts: 42
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    Give him goals and let him get the satisfaction of reaching those goals - the most motivating thing that is.
    Start it up with easy stuff, and make the goals harder to reach as he progresses.
  • runfatmanrun
    runfatmanrun Posts: 1,090 Member
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    I was about his age when i started playing football so maybe tell him how it could benefit him in sports. The down side is you are his big sister and he may just not want to work out with you.
  • SirBen81
    SirBen81 Posts: 396 Member
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    sports
  • WeightlifterJosey
    WeightlifterJosey Posts: 24
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    He does do football and Wrestling and doesn't care that he keeps on getting fatter and really doesn't even wanna play sports anymore, he thinks playing golf for 20 mins is enough workouts for a week. He loves to play video game and eat chips while doing so.
  • castadiva
    castadiva Posts: 2,016 Member
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    Don't make it about a 'workout' - are there any sports he's interested in playing and/or local teams he could join? If he's only 13 and 5'2" he's probably about to shoot up in height in the next year or so, so if you're worried about his weight, I would try not to be - he'll probably be so skinny you'll need to feed him up in a few months' time. It's what happens to boys at puberty.
  • persian_star
    persian_star Posts: 197 Member
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    Maybe get an inexpensive barbell/weights set? It may not be working out with you but it would still help his fitness levels, and boys like the idea of muscles - I have a 31 year young husband who loves to flex his newly appearing muscles at me ;o)
  • sailorsiren13
    sailorsiren13 Posts: 460
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    if you have an xbox get a kinect and play the games with him! my kids love them they have games for everyone from Star Wars (my sons fave) to just dance and MMA fighting could be fun for the whole family. my hubby even got in the act with the star wars one
  • dalmiechick45
    dalmiechick45 Posts: 164 Member
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    make it fun- play with him :) even tossing a ball is better than parking it on a couch :)
    PS- good for your to take an interest in your younger brother. That's very sweet of you.
  • JMPerlin
    JMPerlin Posts: 287 Member
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    In a year or two this won't be a problem. :smile: Just try and encourage him a bit until then.
  • kaitimae
    kaitimae Posts: 727 Member
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    The best thing you can do is probably just set a good example. Figure out what YOU love to do, do it, and talk to him about how much you like it.

    I never had ANY interest in running until my (younger!) brother started doing marathons and reading all sorts of running related books and articles. His love for it got me interested, and now I've done 5 half marathons, with my 6th being next Sunday. I still have a lot of weight to lose, but I am MUCH healthier than I was before I started running.
  • shirleygirl910
    shirleygirl910 Posts: 503 Member
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    Just like getting kids to read, you have to find something they like. If he wants to go in football do a routine they would do on the field for football. Play basketball or handball with him.
  • SirBen81
    SirBen81 Posts: 396 Member
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    Boxing/sparing. You vs him. Two pairs of gloves a mat, and head gear. If I were him I'd be pretty motivated not to let my sis whoop me.
  • GasMasterFlash
    GasMasterFlash Posts: 2,206 Member
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    History has proven that smokes and liquor are the most effective ways to ply minors. You might get in trouble though.
  • WeightlifterJosey
    WeightlifterJosey Posts: 24
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    Thank you guys for all your advice:) I will try to go out and do some kind of sports related things tomorrow when he is with my dad!
  • suzikay12
    suzikay12 Posts: 150 Member
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    I was just thinking this exact same question about my son. He's 13, 5'4 and 140lbs. He's on the heavier side of things. He doesn't do sports at all. Which is fine except I think he is really missing out by not being part of a scheduled activity. He does ride his bike and walk but I was thinking about having him work out with me 30 minutes a day.

    I want him to know that exercise is a part of a happy, healthy life, just because he has chosen not to play sports doesn't mean he can get away with not doing something in it's place. I'm still struggling with the right way to approach it.
  • WeightlifterJosey
    WeightlifterJosey Posts: 24
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    My little brother I feel would be way more interested in doing more but his weight has made his knees hurt more then usual ( He also like to walk around shirtless and he has cellulite on his stomach and boobs (Which are bigger then mine).
  • macpatti
    macpatti Posts: 4,280 Member
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    Fun incentives?
  • Newf77
    Newf77 Posts: 802 Member
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    Set the example, if you try and force your "way of life" on him he is only going to become more resistant. Ask him if he wants to go for walks to get a treat at the Stop and Shop/7-11; play basketball; take the dog for a walk. Just lead the way, he is at an age where he will soon be interested in girls and your friend hanging around might kick his ego into gear. :love:
  • WeightlifterJosey
    WeightlifterJosey Posts: 24
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    I have tried doing that but my brother just goes into the back room and plays call of duty and eats junk food.
  • castadiva
    castadiva Posts: 2,016 Member
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    I was just thinking this exact same question about my son. He's 13, 5'4 and 140lbs. He's on the heavier side of things. He doesn't do sports at all. Which is fine except I think he is really missing out by not being part of a scheduled activity. He does ride his bike and walk but I was thinking about having him work out with me 30 minutes a day.

    I want him to know that exercise is a part of a happy, healthy life, just because he has chosen not to play sports doesn't mean he can get away with not doing something in it's place. I'm still struggling with the right way to approach it.

    As a deeply anti-sports personality, a word of caution...If he rides his bike and walks on a regular basis, he's being fairly active anyway - I wouldn't fret too much about 'scheduled' exercise - both of those things count towards his activity-levels. Exercise doesn't have to mean getting changed into special clothes and going to the gym/joining a team etc, which just is anathema to some people, myself included. I really resented the pressure I got from some adults in that regard, and it made me much more resistant to other forms of activity than I would otherwise have been, for a long time.

    Now, if you said you were worried about his socialisation, rather than just exercise and sports, I'd ask if he was involved in any non-sports groups. As for his weight, as I said above, if he's 13 and 5'4", he's going to be a lot taller, and probably a similar weight in a year's time. Many kids gain weight in the run-up to pubertal changes - it's the body's way of preparing itself.

    If you do get him to work out with you, don't forget that an adolescent or child's skeleton and muscular structure is not as developed or strong as an adults - cartilege has not yet hardened, for example. It would be wise to carefully consider what you are getting him to do, if weights etc are a big part of your workout.

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