Wednesday, January 3, 2018

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS: Helping Parents Set Achievable Goals

"Life is like riding a bicycle.  To keep your balance, you must keep moving."
                                                                                                     --Albert Einstein

Happy New Year!   

While enjoying a workout and pool time at New Albany, Indiana's YMCA on January 1st with my brother and nephew, I asked Jennifer, one of the Y's fitness staff, for her advice for parents.  She answered, “Make a fitness plan with your children and set goals that are achievable.”  She encourages parents to engage in physical activity/play with their children in simple ways such as taking family walks or playing basketball together. 

Image result for kids running "org"

While talking with Jennifer, she and I discovered that we both have observed how often parents set one standard for themselves and another for their children.  The example she gave is where parents make a point to eat a salad every day with fresh fruits and vegetables, never thinking about eating fast foods themselves, but do not hesitate to regularly buy their kids highly processed foods loaded in added sugar, salt, and fat. 

Recently, I spoke with a parent at the Vero Beach Farmers Market and she told me what she tells her children is that they, like she, have to eat a salad every day.  She has set an expectation for her children and has told them why it is important that they make fresh vegetables and fruits a part of their daily foods.   

Child riding scooter

Every parent can set SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-specific) with your children.  Here is an example of a SMART fitness goal:  “For the month of January, once during the week and once on the weekend, our family will take a 20 minute walk together after dinner in our neighborhood.”  Everything in this goal is specific (what and who), measurable (how often), achievable (we’re talking only 40 minutes a week), and time-specific (a one month goal). 

Image result for kids running "org"

Physical activity is key to maintaining a healthy weight, having a good attitude, and managing stress.   Being physically active is a healthy habit from which we all benefit. 

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity is a serious problem in the United States putting kids at risk for poor health.  Despite recent declines in the prevalence among preschool-aged children, obesity amongst all children is still too high.  In 2011-2014, for children and adolescents aged 2-19 years, the prevalence of obesity has remained fairly stable at about 17% and affects about 12.7 million children and adolescents. 

This year’s Wellness Wednesdays will be filled with new lessons for parents inspired by the children served by Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.  Our mission is preventing, halting, and reversing childhood obesity and obesity-related diseases such as diabetes.  Our focus is improving the health – and lives – of America’s children, one child at a time. 

Wishing you and your family a year of joy, happiness, love, achievable goals, and, of course, great food and physical fun! 

With love and gratitude,
Nancy L. Heinrich, MPH

Founder, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.