- Dance Your Heart Out!
Encourage your child to pick the music, crank it up and then dance away! March, box step, bounce, spin, shake it…any way you move it, you’ll be burning calories.
- Discover the Great Indoors
Visit an indoor pool, ice skating rink or basketball court at a local gym, school, or community center. You can visit www.ymca.net/ to locate your local YMCA and find out about the indoor programs they offer.
- Sign ‘Em Up
Enroll your child in an instructional group class. Try dancing, gymnastics, martial arts, fencing, indoor swimming lessons—anything that will get him or her excited about staying
active.
- Double Dog Dare You!
Challenge your child by the end of the day to complete 50 of each of the following: Jumping jacks, Sit-ups, Push-ups, and Lunges
- Stay Active
Help your child find ways to do 30-60 minutes of exercise on most days of the week. Try to walk to school or work, take the stairs and do jumping jacks and sit ups first thing when they wake up in the morning. For some extra quality time, join in!
- Go lean
Try cooking everything from burgers to meatloaf with 93% lean ground beef, chicken, or turkey or when browning higher fat meats, try straining and rinsing the meat in hot water after cooking in order to wash off some of the excess fat.
Making chicken? Buy lean, boneless, skinless chicken and turkey breast for use in your favorite recipes or remove the skin of whole chicken or turkey prior to serving.
- Reach for the Oatmeal
Instant oatmeal is great on a cold morning and contains fiber and vitamins. Choose oatmeal that isn’t already pre-sweetened. Sweeten it with raisins or fresh fruit.
- Be creative!
Find ways to add healthy foods into foods your child already likes. You can put blueberries in pancakes, chopped fruit on cereal, or small pieces of broccoli in macaroni and cheese.
- Take a Break
If it’s impossible to pry kids away from the TV, encourage them to do jumping jacks, sit-ups, and push-ups during commercial breaks.
- Think Small (Portions)
It may seem like a good “value” but there are lots of extra calories and fats in those extra-large, family size items. Go for the regular size.
