Children’s Fitness News

According to new research, childhood obesity rates increase during the holidays. We are all too familiar with the festive bulge that attacks our jeans in the New Year but have we ever stopped to think about the impact the extra food, drinks, snacks and lack of routine the party season has on our children?

Parents need to be mindful about the number of treats kids have over the holidays. Here are a few simple ideas to keep your kids feeling fresh and content and allow them to start the new year revitalized after the break.

It is every parent’s familiar battle. The dreaded dinner time groans of ‘But I Don’t Like It’!! Even though they happily munched on their carrots six months ago, now even the smallest nibbles of broccoli seem impossible! But do not fear. As with many things in their early years, their dislike of vegetables and all-things-healthy is a passing phase and in the meantime here are some simple suggestions to help sneak in their five a day.

The most important thing to remember is that your fear is greater than theirs!! This is what we see week in week out with parent’s bringing children to our classes for the first time. We hear the same worries ‘They may not stay if I don’t stay too’…… ‘I’ll just sit over here in the corner until I’m sure he’s happy’….. ‘I don’t think she’s really going to like it but I’ll give this week a go’…… ‘He’s very shy you know, this isn’t his thing’……

As the winter begins to creep in on us, rainy evenings are becoming more and more frequent and the familiar chant of ‘Mammy I’m bored’ can be heard in most homes!! Here is a very simple idea to help entertain even the most bored child at home; creating a rainy day box.

Encouraging children to be active helps them to burn off excess energy and will leave them (and you!) in a better mood.
Here are three very simple techniques you can easily adapt into your weekly routine to bring more action into your children’s lives.

When kids are looking for sugary treats and snacks it can be hard to say no but it is so important that these types of foods are limited and really seen as a treat. Foods that are high in added sugar (soda, cookies, cake, candy, frozen desserts, and some fruit drinks) tend to also be high in calories and low in other valuable nutrients. As a result, a high-sugar diet is often linked with obesity. Eating too many sugary foods also can lead to tooth decay, energy lows, poor sleeping patterns and anxiety problems.

As the sun begins to shine, our minds quickly forget the damp months behind us and the smell of freshly cut grass lures us outside! Now is the time to make sure the kids get outside too as the benefits of fresh air and outdoor play are plentiful.