Working It Out Wednesday: Move It!

It's not a secret that childhood obesity is an issue in the US.  I have 3 kids of my own and I'm conscientious of the amount of exercise my kids get daily, and how balanced their meals are.  Granted, some days are better than others in our household, but lately we (our family) have been particularly active.

Last weekend I picked up a brochure at our local grocery store for www.choosemyplate.gov (see photo below) because this photo was so easy to visualize healthy eating, particularly for my kids.

Because the weather has been cooler in our area, plus added rain and grey clouds, the kids have been indoors lately rather than at the pool.  However, after dinner we've been going on a family walk each night and then we go to a nearby elementary school and run sprints.  Running sprints is especially beneficial for my oldest son who is playing baseball so we visualize the baselines from home to 1st base and time him. 

My husband and I use the stop watch on our cell phone and the kids love the fact that we time their runs.  It's become a game rather than dreaded exercise.  Plus, we've created an obstacle course on the playground equipment that we all, including my husband, myself and even our 2 year old, run through.  We incorporate sit-ups and upper-body strength moves.  I have to say, within a week we're already seeing improvements in the kids speed, agility, and weight.  Plus, we're all having FUN with fitness as a family.  That's most important.

These are the small changes in our household we've taken to keep our family healthy and active. 

What do you do to stay fit - individually and as a family?

Elena