To those with Children

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  • Elizadolots
    Elizadolots Posts: 178
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    I told my son we are now going for a short walk every evening. 'Oh no', he says 'that is going to be sooo boring.' So I walked with him to a nearby construction site. An hour later he says 'Mum, this was awesome, can we go walk every day for hours?'

    I suppose my point is to incorporate something he is really interested in, in a way that is not too blatant 'exercise'. Also, teach him about how the body works, let him be proud about making good choices. Make it fun!
  • ahealthy4u
    ahealthy4u Posts: 442 Member
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    I would say sports if he wants to dont force him or he will hate it and he should choose what he wants to play. If you have a WII or PS they work great with the exercise work outs because you are playing a game not really thinking that you are actually working out. Good Luck to you. You could always schedule some time with him to go walking or something if you wanted to hang out and help him out.
  • sandrajune72
    sandrajune72 Posts: 550
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    also try geocaching.
    you can make it into a whole secret thing.

    Basically you go on a website, and get GPS coordinates then have to go find some little treasure thing.
    Get a GPS or a smart phone and go for a hike. You even get to call other people that don't know about it muggles.

    ^this^ without a doubt, the best way to get kids walking! My 2 love it!! :smile:
  • pixlamarque
    pixlamarque Posts: 312 Member
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    also try geocaching.
    you can make it into a whole secret thing.

    Basically you go on a website, and get GPS coordinates then have to go find some little treasure thing.
    Get a GPS or a smart phone and go for a hike. You even get to call other people that don't know about it muggles.

    This is a fabulous idea! I would bet that any boy that age would find it fun. Heck, I'm an almost 40 year old woman, and I think it would be great. I also second all the votes for Kinect. The game that it usually comes with (Adventures) will get him moving and having fun. I also agree that you shouldn't tell him you are trying to get him to lose weight. If you just spend more time with him doing fun, active things then hopefully he will a) get more exercise and b) develop an interest in doing those things on his own. The geocaching thing also might help him make friends if there were other kids his age into it.
  • shannong311
    shannong311 Posts: 59 Member
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    My daughter gained alot of weight due to a condition she has (she's 5'1 and was 160+). Going outside and running around isn't an option for her either because she has Severe asthma and is allergic to pretty much everything. So she has been wanting to do something so we got her Zumba on the Kinect. I'm not saying your brother will like zumba it's self but the Kinect for the 360 really gets your movin with the games it has and it makes it fun. (I didn't read all the posts but if someone already suggested this sorry for duplication).
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    What's not being addressed here is his eating habits. He's not obviously buying his food so who's making dinner, where does he get his lunch from and so on?


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Actually, that was addressed on page 1.
  • ElizabethObviously
    ElizabethObviously Posts: 380 Member
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    Kinect Games you could try are Fruit Ninja and the Star Wars ones as well as the sports ones.

    . Since he is a boy he might not like the dancing games as much.

    And yeah do not say let's try to lose weight because he will dig his feet in and fight you the entire way. You have a lot of suggestions here. Walk to the store. Walk around the block. Use as an excuse to talk to your little brother before he grows up too fast!
  • sandrajune72
    sandrajune72 Posts: 550
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    also try geocaching.
    you can make it into a whole secret thing.

    Basically you go on a website, and get GPS coordinates then have to go find some little treasure thing.
    Get a GPS or a smart phone and go for a hike. You even get to call other people that don't know about it muggles.

    This is a fabulous idea! I would bet that any boy that age would find it fun. Heck, I'm an almost 40 year old woman, and I think it would be great. I also second all the votes for Kinect. The game that it usually comes with (Adventures) will get him moving and having fun. I also agree that you shouldn't tell him you are trying to get him to lose weight. If you just spend more time with him doing fun, active things then hopefully he will a) get more exercise and b) develop an interest in doing those things on his own. The geocaching thing also might help him make friends if there were other kids his age into it.

    It's great fun! We even do it while abroad on holiday! Once you get bitten by the Geocaching bug, there's no going back!! :bigsmile:

    http://www.geocaching.com/default.aspx
  • trijoe
    trijoe Posts: 729 Member
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    also try geocaching.
    you can make it into a whole secret thing.

    Basically you go on a website, and get GPS coordinates then have to go find some little treasure thing.
    Get a GPS or a smart phone and go for a hike. You even get to call other people that don't know about it muggles.

    Wow! This sounds like a lot of fun! Do you HAVE to have kids involved?

    We sign our 3 elementary aged kids up for early morning swim lessons all summer long. It keeps them active and burns off their day's allotment of energy, it keeps them involved in a healthy activity, and it builds up their appetites so I can stuff them with all sorts of healthy fresh fruits n veggies. (This makes the small portion of garbage I grudgingly give them seem even smaller. There's a plus in there somewhere...)

    We also visit the library often, and load up on books. A "reward" for doing well in swim lessons is 30 minutes of reading. Not exactly exercise I suppose, but it gives the kids a little focused down time so they're not acting so "exhausted" by the end of the day. And, how can you go wrong reading during summer break?

    So that's what works for us. Good luck figuring out a routine for your little brother. For what it's worth, I think half the battle is already won when he has a big sister so willing to do so well for him. You're an inspiration.

    I hope this helps.
    TriJoe.

    OH! Our oldest - now 10, got into kids 5k runs and kids' triathlons. Now, one of our 7yo twins wants to follow in big sister's footsteps and race. She and I do our first 1mile fun run this Sunday. You may have luck finding some sort of race that your little brother might enjoy. Boys do tend to enjoy anything with a little competition thrown in.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,594 Member
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    What's not being addressed here is his eating habits. He's not obviously buying his food so who's making dinner, where does he get his lunch from and so on?


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Actually, that was addressed on page 1.
    It was touched on by just saying there was junk in the house. I doubt he's just eating chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so there must be other meals he's eating. Is it cooked or just nuked? Do they let him eat as much as he want's or is it limited? Is it balanced?
    Weight is directly related to food intake and for a child his age should be addressed more than just the exercise. Kids his age already will have a higher metabolic rate and you'll see even chubby kids run and play. They're chubby because their diets suck.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    What's not being addressed here is his eating habits. He's not obviously buying his food so who's making dinner, where does he get his lunch from and so on?


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Actually, that was addressed on page 1.
    It was touched on by just saying there was junk in the house. I doubt he's just eating chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so there must be other meals he's eating. Is it cooked or just nuked? Do they let him eat as much as he want's or is it limited? Is it balanced?
    Weight is directly related to food intake and for a child his age should be addressed more than just the exercise. Kids his age already will have a higher metabolic rate and you'll see even chubby kids run and play. They're chubby because their diets suck.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    *sigh*
  • aimeercole
    aimeercole Posts: 33
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    I have a similar problem with my 11 year old. He is 5'3 and 146 pounds. His problem is he thinks this is okay! He looks at the football players and WWE wrestlers being big and thinks that is what he wants to look like. I don't think he understands the difference between muscle bulk and fat yet, after all he is only 11. HOWEVER, what I have done is asked him to "train me" to get in shape. I had him google and excercise program and put together a cardio and weight liftying routine. He is my "trainer". Now, everyday, we do the program HE PICKED OUT. We get to spend quality time together and work out every day. We both get in shape and he gets to feel like he is in charge of something I am doing (not me forcing him to do something). I think it makes him feel very grown up. Its been a blast so far.
  • ScarredVampiress
    ScarredVampiress Posts: 76
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    Ha, that's cute he thinks he's oke from wrestlers. haha But not oke, but cute. I have tried the same thing with him before actually and he kind of liked it, really, but he got so tired after the first 10 minutes. haha

    Also don't have a GPS(yes, get lost a LOT) or a smart phone, so cant do geocoaching but i wish we did! O.o It sounds very nifty.

    Also, his meals are FINE. Me mum gives him healthy things for snacks and breakfast, and dinner is normally very nice, although they do order pizza once in a month or so. But it's the junk that is messing him up.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,594 Member
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    What's not being addressed here is his eating habits. He's not obviously buying his food so who's making dinner, where does he get his lunch from and so on?


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Actually, that was addressed on page 1.
    It was touched on by just saying there was junk in the house. I doubt he's just eating chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so there must be other meals he's eating. Is it cooked or just nuked? Do they let him eat as much as he want's or is it limited? Is it balanced?
    Weight is directly related to food intake and for a child his age should be addressed more than just the exercise. Kids his age already will have a higher metabolic rate and you'll see even chubby kids run and play. They're chubby because their diets suck.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    *sigh*
    Really what are you sighing about? Show any posts on page 1 that are actually addressing actual information on what the kid is eating on a daily basis?


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • 76tech
    76tech Posts: 1,455 Member
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    I'm having trouble with my little brother. I'm not around him all the time like I used to be, especially since I used to be the babysitter, really, and he's gained a lot of weight. I'd say he's about 5'2" and weighs almost as much as I do(132lbs).

    How do you motivate children (he's 11) to exercise or eat healthy?

    Keep in mind, there isn't access to a personal garden to play in.

    When I was that age, I like riding my bike and skateboarding more than anything else. Skateboarding pretty much took me from being overweight to being more fit.

    It's all a matter of finding something that they enjoy.
    Owns more shoes than any man should.
    Leaps miniature buildings in a single bound.
    Knows the difference between loose and lose.
    Can mix a filthy martini with his eyes closed.

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