Exercise for Children
I’ve gotten a few questions from people wondering about our intentions with Katie by purchasing the free weights for her. Not anything rude or challenging, but a genuine curiosity on how soon I truly plan to start her on some kind of exercise routine. I found that interesting and want to address that here, since I have a lot of thoughts on the subject of children and exercise.
Actually, we’ve already started introducing Katie to exercise in some respects. I started exercising again when she was six months old, although I really didn’t make a fanatical commitment until she was about 10 months old. I get up at 4:30 to fit it in before I start work at 7:00, so she really only sees me work out on Saturday (Sunday is my rest day, although right now I am contemplating doing some yoga on that day for relaxation and to help improve my flexibility). But in general, I’m usually long gone by the time she and Strutt get out of bed. Strutt, however, works out every morning after s/he’s given Katie her breakfast, so Katie is completely used to seeing weights and cardio and stretching going on. It’s a normal part of her morning routine.
She tries to imitate us all the time and she just loves the Turbo Jam music. When I start the DVD and the music comes on, all I have to do is say, “Katie, where’s Chalene?” She runs to the TV and starts bobbing up and down, shaking her little booty, until you could just eat her up. To her, exercise is just something her parents do every morning as a routine part of their life, just like brushing their teeth or taking a shower. And I love that because she’ll think it’s supposed to be a normal and habitual part of her life, too. She already does because of how she imitates us and tries to get in on the act – which, frankly, can be challenging for us at times to make sure she’s safe and doesn’t get hurt if we are working with weights or kickboxing or anything like that. But we’ve managed and I personally don’t find that a bad problem to have.
Strutt and I have had many conversations on how different life was when we were kids (I’m 42, s/he’s 41). We never stayed inside the house – weather permitting, we were always outside riding bikes or playing tag, hide-and-seek, kickball, dodgeball, etc. It wasn’t even a question of our mothers making us go outside, because they had to twist our arms to get us to come back in. You went out and played after supper and, when the streetlights came on, it was time to go in the house - tired, happy, and usually filthy. You got thrown in the tub, scrubbed from head to toe, bundled into clean pajamas, given a snack, and then sent off to bed where you slept a solid, deep, dreamless sleep, tuckered out from all that fresh air and exercise. Strutt has never had a weight problem in hir life and I never did until I was an adult and started coping with PCOS, largely in part, I think, because we were very active children and burned thousands of calories on a regular basis.
Today, kids are in the house, wired to television, computer and video games. They don’t play outside anymore. Oh, it’s too dangerous these days, I hear a lot of mothers say. Well, fine. Get your ass off the couch and go outside with them. Read a book on the front porch if you don’t want to participate. What about the back yard? What about enrolling them in a martial arts program? I'm told they have martial arts programs for kids as young as three or four years old, and you can bet Katie will be in one as soon as she is old enough. As a matter of fact, Mommy is already researching the different types of martial arts training available and is seriously considering enrolling in a beginner’s class this summer :) I’ll be damned if my baby is going to kick my ass in a couple of years … LOL.
Childhood obesity has doubled since 1976 because of the lack of exercise kids get today, coupled with the high amount of sugar, white flour, preservatives, derivatives, and substitutes in their diets. I have to wonder, how many kids are “diagnosed” with ADD or ADHD and prescribed drugs like Ridilin when a simple change in diet and some regular exercise might solve the “problem” for some of them? How many are put on these drugs just for being kids who act out because they don’t have an outlet for all their boundless energy? I’m probably going to piss off a lot of people by saying this, but I even believe some of these children are medicated so their parents don’t have to take the blame for the way they are raising them – by letting television and video games and material things be a substitute for exercise and family time and parental attention.
Anyhow, to answer the original question - our intentions for Katie are that she grows up to be a healthy, happy little girl who loves exercise and playtime, and regards them as something ordinary and routine in her life. We’ll enroll her in a martial arts program when she’s old enough, involve her in playgroups where the focus is on fun and physical activity, continue to set an example for her by working out every day, and teach her sound basics and form when she starts to emulate us more seriously. I think our approach will come back to reward us a million times over.
Incidentally, Strutt is already impatiently waiting for the day when she can buy the baby her first swing set or jungle gym … LOL. I foresee I’m going to have my hands full throwing them both into the tub at night :)
Actually, we’ve already started introducing Katie to exercise in some respects. I started exercising again when she was six months old, although I really didn’t make a fanatical commitment until she was about 10 months old. I get up at 4:30 to fit it in before I start work at 7:00, so she really only sees me work out on Saturday (Sunday is my rest day, although right now I am contemplating doing some yoga on that day for relaxation and to help improve my flexibility). But in general, I’m usually long gone by the time she and Strutt get out of bed. Strutt, however, works out every morning after s/he’s given Katie her breakfast, so Katie is completely used to seeing weights and cardio and stretching going on. It’s a normal part of her morning routine.
She tries to imitate us all the time and she just loves the Turbo Jam music. When I start the DVD and the music comes on, all I have to do is say, “Katie, where’s Chalene?” She runs to the TV and starts bobbing up and down, shaking her little booty, until you could just eat her up. To her, exercise is just something her parents do every morning as a routine part of their life, just like brushing their teeth or taking a shower. And I love that because she’ll think it’s supposed to be a normal and habitual part of her life, too. She already does because of how she imitates us and tries to get in on the act – which, frankly, can be challenging for us at times to make sure she’s safe and doesn’t get hurt if we are working with weights or kickboxing or anything like that. But we’ve managed and I personally don’t find that a bad problem to have.
Strutt and I have had many conversations on how different life was when we were kids (I’m 42, s/he’s 41). We never stayed inside the house – weather permitting, we were always outside riding bikes or playing tag, hide-and-seek, kickball, dodgeball, etc. It wasn’t even a question of our mothers making us go outside, because they had to twist our arms to get us to come back in. You went out and played after supper and, when the streetlights came on, it was time to go in the house - tired, happy, and usually filthy. You got thrown in the tub, scrubbed from head to toe, bundled into clean pajamas, given a snack, and then sent off to bed where you slept a solid, deep, dreamless sleep, tuckered out from all that fresh air and exercise. Strutt has never had a weight problem in hir life and I never did until I was an adult and started coping with PCOS, largely in part, I think, because we were very active children and burned thousands of calories on a regular basis.
Today, kids are in the house, wired to television, computer and video games. They don’t play outside anymore. Oh, it’s too dangerous these days, I hear a lot of mothers say. Well, fine. Get your ass off the couch and go outside with them. Read a book on the front porch if you don’t want to participate. What about the back yard? What about enrolling them in a martial arts program? I'm told they have martial arts programs for kids as young as three or four years old, and you can bet Katie will be in one as soon as she is old enough. As a matter of fact, Mommy is already researching the different types of martial arts training available and is seriously considering enrolling in a beginner’s class this summer :) I’ll be damned if my baby is going to kick my ass in a couple of years … LOL.
Childhood obesity has doubled since 1976 because of the lack of exercise kids get today, coupled with the high amount of sugar, white flour, preservatives, derivatives, and substitutes in their diets. I have to wonder, how many kids are “diagnosed” with ADD or ADHD and prescribed drugs like Ridilin when a simple change in diet and some regular exercise might solve the “problem” for some of them? How many are put on these drugs just for being kids who act out because they don’t have an outlet for all their boundless energy? I’m probably going to piss off a lot of people by saying this, but I even believe some of these children are medicated so their parents don’t have to take the blame for the way they are raising them – by letting television and video games and material things be a substitute for exercise and family time and parental attention.
Anyhow, to answer the original question - our intentions for Katie are that she grows up to be a healthy, happy little girl who loves exercise and playtime, and regards them as something ordinary and routine in her life. We’ll enroll her in a martial arts program when she’s old enough, involve her in playgroups where the focus is on fun and physical activity, continue to set an example for her by working out every day, and teach her sound basics and form when she starts to emulate us more seriously. I think our approach will come back to reward us a million times over.
Incidentally, Strutt is already impatiently waiting for the day when she can buy the baby her first swing set or jungle gym … LOL. I foresee I’m going to have my hands full throwing them both into the tub at night :)
posted by Tiffany Anderson @ 6:34 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home