Workouts are something hated not only by kids but also adults. Now, if you hate workouts as much as your kid then this article would benefit both of you. Believe it or not, a well-balanced workout regimen could single-handedly keep you fit and healthy throughout your whole life. And of course, no one said you need to do boring cardios for hours or spend 24 hours in your local gym. Simple activities could help you and your kids keep the pounds away.

One reason behind the ever-increasing level of childhood obesity is the increasing addiction of children to video games, PSPs, etc. If they sit and watch video games all day, when would they find time for workouts? The only way to break this habit is to take them regularly for a walk along the park. At the beginning, kids may hesitate to move beyond the world of video games.

Good news is that I have a remedy for this too. Ask yourself first: are YOU an active parent? If not, set a daily schedule for morning walks and then when you come back home tell your kid how much you loved and enjoyed the walk as well as how much your body benefitted from it. The more interesting you make it to him, the more he would be willing to walk.

Slowly you could scale it over to the next level which includes jogging, running, swimming, etc. – activities which would help your kid burn even more calories than he would by walking.

But like I said, they won’t make the first move unless you do, and to be honest, you should move your body too as obesity is harming you as much as your kids. When they see that you prefer to walk, run and jog instead of sitting at home and watching movies, they would soon emulate you and do the same.

Also, if there is any sport that you are passionate about or used to indulge in during your youth, you should start participating in that sport again. It could be anything which makes your body move and sweat, such as cricket, basketball, tennis, etc. Note that by ’sport’ I don’t mean chess or other board games; they are as bad as video games.

Like anything else in life, neither you nor your kid would find time for such activities unless you set a schedule for them. You should prioritize your health over even your most important tasks; once you do that, you would automatically find time to do the activities which would keep you away from fat belly and flabby arms.

Of course, the same applies to your kid too.

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Tags: basketball, chess, cricket, obesity, Swimming, Tennis

It is said that America tops the obese adult population in the world, which is of course true. However, one seems to overlook the fact that America is also home to the highest population of obese children. If WHO (World Health Organization) is to be believed, our world contains more than twenty million obese kids, most of whom are in the age group of five-eight.

WHO also says that childhood obesity has reached the level of an epidemic in America, so much so that in the past three decades the number of obese American kids has more than tripled. Isn’t your child one of them too? It is time to take control of your kid’s life and help him lead the kind of comfortable and healthy life we would want him to lead. And this is only possible by helping him get rid of the extra pounds.

In fact, if America tops the number of obese kids, even third world countries are not far behind. You would think that an economically backward continent like Africa would have skinny kids because most of their parents are too poor to feed them properly, let alone overfeed them. However, very often our beliefs don’t coincide with reality. Just recently a special task force sent to Africa to gauge the health stats of the people living there encountered more obese kids than malnourished children.

You maybe thinking: why all this hullabaloo about childhood obesity? What is wrong if the belly of your kid if a tad fatter than his peers? The answer is: just like overweight adults, fat kids are also likely to suffer from harmful diseases such as high blood pressure, type 1 diabetes, hypertension, fatigue, heart diseases, and in some cases, even early death.

Believe it or not, the root cause of childhood obesity has little to do with genetics and more with poor lifestyle habits. Often people add two and two and jump to the conclusion that the kid is fat because of his parents. But that is not true at all. Kids emulate the unhealthy habits of their parents and naturally become fat like them. If you and your kids follow healthy lifestyle habits, both of you would be able to get rid of fat very quickly.

Truth to be told, the onus of the rising levels of childhood obesity lies on parents to a great extent. We parents prefer our kids to have junk foods since they can be easily procured from outside and help save the time we would have spent on cooking. A diet rich in fat and sugar could only make your child fatter and fatter. There is really nothing new to be said about it. Unless you are willing to spend a little time and energy in cooking healthy foods at home, don’t expect your kids to become any slimmer.

Apart from making them eat healthy foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, it is also important that you try to reduce their intake of soda and fizzy drinks.

Controlling the food habits of your kids is only half the battle won, the other half being that of encouraging them to become more active. If you are concerned about your child’s future and wish to offer him a healthy life, you would need to take him away from Xbox and PSPs to outdoor sports such as cricket, basketball, tennis, etc. Encouraging them to indulge in cardiovascular activities such as swimming, dancing, rope jumping, etc., would also help them burn fat and lose weight.

Tags: Africa, America, basketball, cricket, diabetes, energy, fatigue, food habits, heart diseases, high blood pressure, hypertension, obesity, outdoor sports, Swimming, Tennis, World Health Organization

In good old times, when there was no video game, PSP, IPOD or computer, one needn’t worry about telling their kids to engage themselves in outdoor sports and exercises. Children would do it on their own, having no other (read better) choice. However, in this age of gizmos and gadgets, kids have become so much addicted to video games, TV and computers that rarely, if ever, do they venture out of home except for school classes, forget about exercising or playing sports.

As times change, parents need to change too. Now that kids no longer have any inclination for exercise, you, as a parent, need to be proactive about it, IF you want to ensure a healthy future for your kids, that is.

How would exercise benefit my kids, you may ask. Well, for starters, exercises would keep your kids fit, not only now but also forever, provided that they continue with the exercises. When kids are accustomed to leading an active life, there is little chance that they would become inactive as they grow into adulthood.

In fact, several studies have pointed out that people who lead active lives as kids usually continue with the same active lifestyle as adults; such people are much less likely to suffer from obesity, or obesity-related diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary diseases, sleep apnea, etc., than those who lead a sedentary lifestyle right from childhood.

Apart from making him physically strong and immune to diseases, exercises also make your child mentally healthy. A kid who exercises regularly is more likely to get good grades in exams, have more self-confidence, and be in a better position to socialize, than one who doesn’t exercise at all or exercises rarely. Again, these are not all lame speculations but rather proven scientific facts.

Now, here are some exercise tips for Kids:

a) Kids, being impatient by nature, won’t stick to anything, especially hard work, which lasts for more than half-an-hour. This is why kids shouldn’t be made to exercise for more than half-an-hour per day, unless they want to. If they exercise for too long, they are likely to become either bored or frustrated with their exercise routine, and that is something that you won’t want to happen.

b) Kids are least likely to be motivated to exercise if they have to go to a gym and do boring workouts. A much better alternative is to buy them a treadmill. Keep the treadmill at home and let your kids have fun with it.

c) Kids become bored very quickly, so make sure that you don’t force them to engage in the same workout day after day. For example, if your kids do the treadmill workout on the first day, have them do some hula hooping on the next day. Then send them on a scavenger hunt on the third day, tell them to play a sport like cricket or baseball on the fourth day, and engage them in relay race, swimming, skiing, or dancing on the fifth day.

With a variety of exercise activites for Kids to be done throughout the week, you can be rest assured that your kids would never become bored of exercises. Don’t forget to engage your kids in domestic chores too, as this would also help them stay fit.

Tags: baseball, coronary diseases, cricket, diabetes, high blood pressure, ipod, obesity, outdoor sports, skiing, sleep apnea, Swimming

Teenage obesity is slowly gaining the dimension of an epidemic. At least 14-15% of the word population suffers from teenage obesity. This of course, is just the official figure; I am sure the actual figure is much more than that. In America alone, you would get to see more fat than skinnier teenagers.

If you don’t already monitor the lifestyle habits of your teen kid, it is time to start doing so since unhealthy lifestyle habits would lead to obesity, which in turn could lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases, and even early death. Now the big bold question is, how do you make sure that your teen kid is always fit and healthy? In this article I will tell you just that.

It pays to know about the reasons behind teenage obesity. Part of it is caused because unlike in good old days, kids no longer take any interest in playing outdoor sports such as volleyball, cricket, baseball, tennis, etc. There are indeed very few teens who engage in swimming, dancing, yoga and such other healthy activities that would not only keep them physically sound but also mentally alert and healthy.

These days, teenagers prefer to stick to the idiot box, PSPs, video games, computers, etc. As such, their average daily activity level remains low, resulting in weight gain.

There is yet another and bigger reason behind teenage obesity – the changing face of our society. In times of our forefathers, joint families were the norm and nuclear families the exception. The system of nuclear family existed back then too, but it was not as widespread as today.

In a joint family, there used to be a lot of kids; they used to mingle and play with each other and thus, were able to maintain an active life. On top of that, they used to eat more healthy foods than fast foods.

Back then, there were no processed fruit juices to eat; you would have to extract the juice of the raw fruit itself to make it. The juice extracted from organic fruits is much more healthy, nutritious, and low on calorie, compared to the packaged fruit juices we buy. Compared to modern times, the level soda and alcohol intake was very low.

As joint families started breaking up into nuclear families, people became close-minded, selfish, and careless. Our society has degenerated in such a way that instead of befriending neighborhood kids, teenagers now prefer to sit at home and watch video games. Parents have become busier by the day and as such, couldn’t care less.

In fact, in most households, parents are too busy to even cook healthy meals for themselves and their teenage kids; as a result, the teenagers have to go with the fast food options available outside. The combination of all these factors has resulted in the rise of teenage obesity.

The solution to this problem is very simple. Your teen kid doesn’t need pop in diet pills or follow an extremely restrictive diet in order to lose weight. He just needs to do what he is not doing ought to. He needs to eat healthy, get rid of fast food, play actively, mingle with nature, etc.

Of course, parents are the ones who should guide their kids properly. Remember that obesity is the death knell for your teen kid; the faster you help him get rid of it, the better.

Tags: America, baseball, cricket, diabetes, food, food options, heart diseases, high blood pressure, obesity, outdoor sports, Swimming, Tennis, volleyball

So your doctor has told you that you are too overweight to live long, unless you take time to do some exercises. You panic on hearing the very name of exercises, let alone doing them. In fact, you are not alone. Lots of people feel that exercises have to be long, hard and boring; such people fail even before trying anything.

Of the few who actually take the time to workout, most waste time and energy in the wrong types of workouts because they don’t have the right knowledge and goals; as such, these people also fail to lose weight. However if you take the time to read this entire article, I can guarantee that you would never fail to lose weight.

Imagine driving across a highway with no clear cut goals of where to go. What would you do? You would drive and drive aimlessly, until you or your car becomes too tired to move an inch. In the process, you have merely wasted your time (and gas as well), since you didn’t take the time to set a clear-cut goal of your journey as well as take a map of the destination along with you.

The same applies to weight loss. If you don’t know what you want from your exercise regimen, how would you know when you achieve the results? Setting a clear-cut goal of what you aim to achieve from your workout routine would not only give you a clear path to the destination you wish to reach, but also motivate you whenever you feel frustrated or fatigued with your weight loss efforts.

Setting a goal is as important as setting a realistic and attainable goal. If your goal is to have a body like Jessica Alba or Jennifer Lopez, you are not going to succeed because your goal is just too vague. If you have a goal of ‘losing all the extra weight within a month from now’, you won’t succeed either because it is not a very realistic goal. On the other hand, if you set a goal of ‘losing twenty pounds within the next six months’, you should definitely achieve it because your goal is not only clear but also realistic.

Once you have setup a clear-cut weight loss goal for yourself, you need to plan your workout routine as well. In order to keep yourself away from the ‘exercise-related boredom’, your workout regimen should consist of a variety of workouts.
You should not focus on doing only cardios or only intense workouts; rather, you should be doing BOTH of them. When your workout regimen consists of a variety of interesting and exciting exercises, you would be doing a different workout each day. With such a “loaded” workout routine, you are unlikely to become bored, ever.

Sometimes, in order to break away from the routine, you may want to engage in some forms of outdoor sports such as cricket, baseball, tennis, etc., depending on your preferences. You may also want to participate in swimming, dancing, yoga, etc. Just like the conventional workouts, these activities would also help you burn fat and lose weight.

Lastly, here are a few extra tips for you:

1. Always track your progress with your workout regimen to make sure that you are really going where you want to go. If you feel that your current workout routine is not working as expected, choose something else.

2. If necessary, hire a professional trainer. In fact, there would come a point when you would need professional help and guidance. Don’t be mean with your expenditure at this point of time. Keep in mind that your health is more precious than your entire wealth and riches. If your health goes haywire, would you be able to enjoy your wealth?

3. Start with short workouts. If you have never worked out in life, it is best to start with a 15-minute workout, then increase it to 30-minutes, then one hour, and so on. If you start off with long, boring workouts, you would become bored and fatigued at the outset and quit your workout routine.

Tags: baseball, cricket, energy, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Alba, outdoor sports, Swimming, Tennis

Obesity has always been there, especially among people belonging to the upper middle class and of course, the rich people too. More often than not, obesity is the result of overeating and unhealthy eating. It is no wonder that obesity usually thrives in families which are financially well off; these families can afford to eat expensive junk foods and junk foods are what primarily make a person overweight.

In recent times however, it is noticed that obesity is not just limited to adults. As more and more children fall into the trap of obesity, one wonders whether it is taking the form of an epidemic.

How do children become obese? Well, usually they gain weight as a result of following poor eating habits. But who teaches those poor eating habits to them? As we know, a child’s mind is like a blank, white paper and whatever you write on it would become his future. In other words, a child’s mind is very influential; he cannot differentiate between good and bad and consequently, takes whatever is taught to him as gospel truth.

Parents have a big role to play in the health of their children. No matter how much they deny it, they are primarily responsible for teenage obesity. Have you ever noticed that obese kids usually have obese parents? It is not just a coincidence. It might be true that the child has inherited obesity from his parents, but it is equally true that the kid became obese because of following the poor eating habits of his parents.

The kid’s parents have probably become obese because of poor, unhealthy eating habits and leading a sedentary lifestyle; so it is likely they would pass on their bad habits to their kids since they don’t know any better.

So rather than trying to make your teenage kids lose weight when it is too late, it is better to teach healthy eating habits to them right from an early stage so that they never gain weight in the first place. Here are some ways you can do it:

1. First of all, you need to change your poor eating habits. By following an unhealthy lifestyle, you are not only harming yourself but also your kids. Since kids take their parents as role models, they would follow your eating habits and become obese just like you.

2. Second, it is time to put your parental love on the backburner and become stricter with regards to your kid’s food habits. Children naturally love to eat sweets, candies, cakes, cookies, etc. No matter how much you feed them with healthy foods, they would still pester you for these items.

However, these foods are high on calorie and would make your kids fat. Many parents like to condone the poor eating habits of their kids out of parental love, but in my opinion, such parental love is misdirected for it makes kids obese. It is time you start admonishing your kids for eating junk foods. Remember, your kids’ health is at stake.

3. Thirdly, you should stock your home with organic fruits and vegetables and cook them regularly for yourself and your kids. Far too many parents, either out of laziness or lack of time, don’t cook meals at home; instead, they ask their kids to eat junk foods from outside. If you really believe that your family’s health is your first priority, you would need to cook meals regularly.

Unlike junk and fatty foods, organic foods are rich in vitamins, protein, fats, zinc, calcium, etc., as well as low on calorie. More importantly, they are rich in fiber, which would help keep your kids full for a long time. Remember that when kids are not hungry, they are less likely to gorge on junk foods.

4. Fourth, it is time that you not only stop buying junk foods but also throw away your existing stock of junk foods from your kitchen and refrigerator. Kids are more likely to eat chips and cookies if they are easily available at home.

5. Lastly, encourage your kids to become more active in life, and of course, you should do the same too. Instead of watching video games, PSP or TV, they should go outside and play sports such as basketball, tennis, cricket, etc. These sports would help them burn fat and stay fit. Additionally, if your kids are interested in swimming, dancing, etc., they would be encouraged to indulge in them as well.

Obesity is bad enough, but keep in mind that if you are proactive about it, it is never too late to begin. Also keep in mind that preventing weight gain is much better than struggling to lose weight.

Tags: basketball, cricket, food habits, obesity, play sports, Swimming, Tennis

If you take a closer look at your obese neighbors, that is, if you have watched them grow from children into teenagers and finally adults, you would find that many of them didn’t become obese adults overnight. Most probably they were eating junk and processed foods since their childhood.

Those habits followed them when they grew into the puberty stage. Today, as adults, they would probably like to kick off their bad habits and lose weight, but since they have never followed healthy eating habits as children, they now find it difficult to adopt them.

As you can understand, if we can put a rein on childhood obesity and teenage obesity, much of the present day’s obesity problem could be solved. A lot of it depends on parents. They should the ones teaching their kids the benefits of healthy eating and healthy living.

They should be the ones to teach their kids how harmful it would be for their health if they become fat. I have actually found that when it comes to kids or teenagers, the fear of social disgrace usually influences them much more than the fear of diseases.

You see, it is no secret that:

a) Kids are very sensitive by nature and don’t take offences kindly

b) Almost in all societies, fat kids are abused and taunted at by their peers

Therefore, inculcate the fear of imminent social disgrace in your kids, and see if they don’t follow healthy eating habits. This is a psychological trick which almost always works for teens, and to some extent, over-sensitive kids too; however, it won’t probably work for adults.

The genetic factor is there to consider as well. If a teen’s parents are obese, he would have to fight harder than usual to keep himself from getting overweight. Studies point out that a teenager can, if he wants to, keep himself healthy and fit even if his parents are not healthy. However, if a teen doesn’t follow a healthy lifestyle during his adolescence, he would find it difficult to keep the weight away in his adulthood.

While working out in the gym is an obvious option, teenagers shouldn’t be doing workouts which are too strenuous, as they can injure themselves badly. From my experience, I can recommend two good activities that would help your teenage child keep obesity away without harming him in any way:

1) Outdoor sports: Right after finishing their academic activities, teens should engage themselves in some form of outdoor sports. Afternoon is usually the best time for playing sports such as cricket, football, basketball, tennis, etc. Make sure that you do not force your kid to play any particular sport. Almost all kids are interested in one of these sports, and since all of them are good for weight loss, it doesn’t matter which sport he picks up for himself.

2) Swimming and dancing: Many kids take interest in these activities. They are good choices since they keep your kids healthy, both physically and mentally. Yoga is yet another good choice.

Tags: basketball, cricket, football, obesity, outdoor sports, Swimming, Tennis