Helping your kids reach a level of fitness that makes them feel good and look good is NOT complicated.

If you or your children/teens are overweight, let’s be clear, the choices you have made and are making for yourself and your family have cost you. The great thing is your choices caused it, which means, making NEW choices can transform it.

Choices Created This Obesity Epidemic and NEW Choices Will Solve It.

It’s time to make better choices, isn’t it? The farther in time you veer from balance/health, the longer it takes to reclaim your life. Although that is true in many cases, it’s not an absolute. Children and teens can transform their body, minds and spirit faster and easier than adults.

Let’s discuss how.

First, parents must get honest with themselves. Until then, you can read all the articles you want but nothing will change. If you are an overweight parent don’t you think it might be a good idea to decide that you’re going to change for the sake of your kid(s)? Or decide to NOT allow your kid(s) to become you?

I think that is fair, don’t you? When I had my daughter all I wanted was for her to live life to the fullest and I make sure that I am not her limitation in life. Why hurt the both of us when I can be her catalyst?

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychology website says,
“Children with overweight parents have an 80% chance of becoming obese.”

Now, I’ve been an athlete all my life. It’s a natural state of living for me; it’s also a passion. For some kids and parents, it’s not a passion — working out is worse than household chores, at least in the beginning.

If you have a child who is not very athletic or sedentary, even uncoordinated, they may not be passionate about physical activity; at least they might seem that way. Don’t be tricked, kids are full of passion and if you get them involved in physical activities with other kids they will have FUN and the passion for it will unleash itself.

Underneath it all, it is natural for kids to be active. Most healthy toddlers exhaust their parents with their level of activity. It’s their natural state; your goal is to return them to their natural state.

Being Active, Moving Your Body, Means Being ALIVE!

Following are some suggestions for getting fit in weeks:

1. Cross Fit:

What I love about cross fit is that it never gets boring. It keeps kids bodies moving in all different directions and literally attacks the fat in a fun and challenging way. Kids will excel at parts of it and be challenged in others; sounds a lot like life, doesn’t it?

So what is cross fit? It’s the perfect mixture of weight training, survival exercises, calisthenics, running, jumping, climbing, yoga and it’s a blend of slow and fast paced exercises.

Kids love cross fit. It simply makes them feel good, and they will notice their bodies begin to slim down in a matter of weeks.

When Overweight Kids Start to LIKE Who They Are and FEEL good in their bodies, they become more confident. The end result is you have more COMMITTED and RESPONSIBLE Kids!

2. Slow Burn:

One size does not fit all, but health is for everyone.

Slow burn focuses on certain body parts as well as the entire body by creating slow resistant type movements that burn fat and building energy.

Slow burn is perfect for families without a lot of money or time to get their kids to the gym or a trainer. Slow burn is as simple as this: 30 minutes per week and two exercises that are done slowly to maximize fat burn off. A friend of mine, Fred Hahn (author of Fitness Revolution and Strong Kids Healthy Kids), works with overweight children and teens 2 times per week for 15 minutes and produces amazing results.

It’s challenging and for some parents who believe in the “I don’t have time” myth, slow burn is a perfect fitness program for them and their kids. Remember, kids without wheels suffer more as they don’t have money to get healthy or the transportation to get to the gym to get healthy.

3. Outdoor Adventures:

Given the lack of outside play, activities and physical education in school these days, getting your kids outside supports them in becoming physically and emotionally balances.

I am a big believer in giving kids choices for outdoor adventure. As long as they are outdoors playing, sweating, laughing and moving their bodies, you’re supporting your kids.

Some examples of outdoor activities are: swimming, rock climbing, hiking, kayaking, and snowshoeing. With my daughter, who is healthy and athletic, when I take her to the beach, I put her in a little boat with a paddle and say, “I wonder how long you can paddle before getting tired?”

Sure enough, she stays out for hours. It’s a great way for to enjoy exercising without her knowing she’s exercising and I get to sit back and watch and RELAX!
It’s your choice. Active and alive? Or sedentary and wasting your life? Choose wisely.

Author's Bio: 

Coach Carl Logrecco, ECH Founder and CEO, has coached, advised and counseled hundreds of doctors all throughout the U.S. , Canada and Australia in patient care, communications, inspiring patients and running a family-care office environment. Having been a personal and professional trainer and speaker for 11 years, he has now dedicated his life to our younger generation in building champions for life.