Healthy Lifestyles for Kids
Kicking off to a healthier lifestyle does not stop with mom and dad. Steps that are taken to improve the health of adults are the same steps that must be taken to improve the health of children. Eating well and engaging in physical activity are important lifestyle behaviors that can help reduce childhood obesity.
Here are a few kickoff to better health tips to help kids maintain healthier lifestyles:
Kickoff To Better Health Tip 1: Eat A Variety of Foods -- Especially Fruits and Vegetables
Your child may have a favorite food; however they need to eat a variety of foods in order to get the nutrients their bodies need. Try to encourage them to eat new foods or those foods they may not have eaten in a while. The goal is eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day - two fruits and three vegetables. Give this a try:
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) strawberries on breakfast cereal
- 10 baby carrots
- 2 broccoli spears
- 3/4 cup (170 grams) fruit juice
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) salsa with chips
Kickoff To Better Health Tip 2: Drink More Water and Milk
When they’re thirsty, give them water. Water is the No. 1 thirst-quencher.
Kids need calcium to grow strong bones, and milk is a great source of this mineral. How much do kids need? About 800 milligrams each day for ages 6 to 8 and 1,300 milligrams for 9 year olds or older. To give you an idea, here's a list of foods and drinks that would add up to the 1,300-milligram daily goal:
- 2 cups (about half a liter) of milk (600 milligrams of calcium)
- 2 ounces (57 grams) of cheese (300 milligrams of calcium)
- 1 cup (227 grams) of yogurt (315 milligrams of calcium)
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) cooked white beans (120 milligrams of calcium)
There is more to drink other than water and milk, like 100% juices, but limit sugary drinks such as sodas, juice cocktails and fruit punches. They contain an abundance of added sugar. Sugar simply adds calories, not important nutrients.
Kickoff To Better Health Tip 3: Limit Screen Time
What's screen time? It's the amount of time kids spend watching TV, DVDs, and videos, playing handheld computer games and using the computer. The more time they spend on these sitting-down activities, the less time they spend being physically active. Try and limit screen time to no more than 2 hours a day, not counting computer use related to school work.
Kickoff To Better Health Tip 4: Get Up And Moving
Kids have the best job. They can play all day. All kids like to have fun so find out what activities they like the best. It may be football, bike riding or swimming. There is something for everyone. Encouraging daily physical activity can become a family affair; like a family walk or bike ride. Find ways to for your child to be active every day.
Kid’s Fitness Needs
Ages 1 to 3
Developing motor skills is important for infants and toddlers not just for physical growth and health but also because it contributes to intellectual development. Check with your pediatrician for age-appropriate exercises that you and your child can do together at this age. As they learn to walk, focus on any activities that will have them moving around.
Ages 4 to 6
Children in this age group will enjoy games and activities such as tag, kickball, and other things they can play with family and friends. Those activities will promote large and small muscle development and coordination.
Ages 7 to 12
As kids get older they begin to enjoy and benefit from organized sports and other school and community activities. These activities will continue to promote muscle development and coordination while children begin to learn how to follow rules within a structured routine.
Teens
Teenagers need plenty of exercise and physical activity; many are prone to sitting around the house watching TV and playing video games. Get your teen involved in school sports, or if there is nothing at school that interests them, check with your local community to see what leagues are available (football, baseball, soccer, etc.)
Always remember to check with your child's doctor before having them begin any type of extracurricular sports activities or other physical exercise programs.
