5 Healthy Summertime Tips For Your Family

Summertime! Barbecues, swimming pools, picnics, parks, beaches…so many opportunities for fun, fun and more fun! What are some of the best ways to celebrate the warm weather and sunshine with your family?

Study after study has shown that most Americans are obese and out of shape, and their bad habits are being passed along to the next generation. An increasing number of kids are overweight, and if no intervention is made, the majority of them will remain overweight into adulthood. This is why it’s extremely important for the whole family to be active and have fun.

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Parents have more influence over their children than they are typically aware and if parents are also involved in regular physical activity and are good role models, then their child are more likely to be active as well. Anything that gets the heart pumping can be beneficial and can be made into a fun activity.

READ: How To Get Your Family Into Shape

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Which is why summertime can be a wonderful time to help your family have fun and stay healthy!

• Make sure the activities are ones that everyone can participate in. Choose things that fit your family’s lifestyle and interests. Whether it’s hiking, swimming, or tennis, rock climbing, etc. find something that puts a smile on everyone’s face.
• Warm up and cool down. This can be done by either by doing a few stretching exercises before the activity, or simply walking for a few minutes at the beginning and end.
• Encourage each other. When someone in your family does something new, for example, such as swimming a lap around the pool without stopping, give them a high-five or a supportive Obama “fist bump” When kids feel good about what they are doing, they’ll keep it up and set new goals for themselves.
• Don’t forget the sunscreen! SPF is the minimum you should be using. Also, SPF will decrease with sweating and exposure to water, so in addition to protective clothing, hats and sunglasses, you may want to try using a water-resistant sunscreen.
• Make sure everyone is eating healthy. Prepare healthy meals and snacks ahead of time, so that there’s less temptation to make unhealthy fast food choices.