children and obesity

If our children get fit we get fit too.  You should reeinforce to your children that being fit is not just moving, but it is also eating right as well.  They should be eating 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day. 

Let's teach them that muscles can have a brain of their own.  It is impotant to have good form.  Start with desk push ups and table squats.

Desk Push-up

Face the desk, hands grasping the edge of the desk. Place feet approximately

one to two feet away from desk. Lower the body until the chest touches
the desk. Hold abdominals tight to support the core (abdominals, hip, back)
of the body. Avoid arching the back or sticking the hips out. Exhale as you
contract your upper-arm muscles and extend (straighten) the elbows.

Table squats

Stand to the side of the desk with one hand holding

onto the desk. Imagine you’re going to sit down
on an imaginary chair. Keeping the chest lifted,
lower the hips down toward the floor as if your
bottom is going to touch the seat of a chair. Keep
the abdominals and back muscles contracted and
the knees over the ankle region. You should be able
to gently tap your toes (to show the weight of the
body is not too far forward). Squat down and try
to get your thighs as close to parallel to the floor
as you can. At NO time should a student work in a
painful zone. Always encourage comfortable, yet
challenging, intensities of exercise.

Do these two exercise with your children three days  a this week.

Here is another activity that you can do: 

You will need 6 index cards.  Written on them,

Bicept curls, Quad squad, Push ups, Lunges, Overhead Presses, Front arm Raises.

Have students put ALL cards face down on floor. On your cue, direct one
student to turn over TWO cards in an attempt to MATCH them. Write a math
problem on the board (answer should not be over 20; for example, 4x3+2).
When students have a match, that team will perform that exercise the number
of repetitions indicated in the answer of the math problem. Instruct the other
student groups (the ones that didn’t have a match) to do an “aerobic” activity
in place (for example, marching, walking in place, jogging, etc.).

Do not forget to do all the exercise with your children.

Stay fit.