Tag Archives: healthy

Going Healthy

4 Shrewd Methods For Achieving Your Fitness Goals

Leave a comment

Whether you’re planning on running an ultra-marathon, or you are hoping to get up off the couch and do your first 5K, achieving your fitness goals can be tough. After all, there’s so much stuff that can get in the way, especially when you are a parent. However, there are some tactics you can use to make attaining the goals that you set a lot easier. Read on to find out what they are.

Define

First of all, it can make a huge difference if you take the time to define your goals accurately. The reason for this is because when you know exactly what you are aiming for it is not only easier to judge when you have achieved it, but it also stays in your subconscious, and this can work in your favor, even when you are not actively pushing for it.

With that in mind, try and steer clear of goals that are too general such as getting fit, or losing weight. Instead, go for something specific such as being able to run a 10K race. Then you can work back from this and set intermediate targets such as running a 5K and jogging around the block that will help you stay motivated on your journey.

Time

Timing your goals is another method you can use to help you to achieve the targets that you set for yourself. It can work well because it gives you a date to work towards and provides a little time pressure that can act as a reliable motivator. Something that can help you out if you tend to put thing off or make excuses as to why you can’t workout today.

To time your fitness goals in the most effective way, it can help to record the date you are aiming for in your planner, calendar or diary. Then you can also use this to track your progress and ensure that you are doing enough to achieve your end goal by the date you have set.

Reward

fitness, tips, goals, healthy

Image link

Reward and celabrate goals that are achieved.

Rewards are one of the best strategies to use when you are trying to achieve a fitness goal. The thing is, to work, they need to be tailored specifically to your preferences and what motivates you.

With that in mind, if you are looking to shred down and lose a little weight, a smart shirt like ones in the John Henric’s US collection can be a good reward. While if you are aiming at improving your fitness and health so you can be a more active dad, a fun family day out can work just as well.  

Record

Lastly, something that can be hugely helpful in achieving your goals is to record your progress and when you get to a milestone. You can choose to do this using a fitness wearable, in a notebook, or chart, or even online like this to help you acknowledge and celebrate your success.

Something that can spur you on, and even remind you that you have the strength to succeed in your fitness goals when you are having a particularly bad day.

Going Healthy, Life, Parenting

Seven Tips for Raising Healthy Kids

Leave a comment

Every parent wants their kids to be happy and healthy. While they are small, it is easy to influence their diet and lifestyle choices, but as soon as they are in middle school and have their own peer group, your hands are somewhat tied. It is, therefore, important to educate your kids while you can about healthy lifestyle and identify some of the problems they are likely to face later in life.

1. Five a Day

If you would like your kids to like fruit and vegetables, you might want to get creative and introduce different colors and shapes, so the food is not only nutritious, but also interesting. You can create celery stick monsters and funky shaped tomatoes, encouraging your kids to eat more fruit and vegetables and get used to the flavor. Chances are that they will not like the taste of every fresh produce you give them, but they will pick some favorites that they will enjoy throughout their lives

2. Teach Them about Nutrition

While in many schools kids learn about nutrition and food, – as a parent – it is your responsibility to make sure that they are aware of the basic nutrients and their benefits. You can create a food map at home in the kitchen, or a chart with the most and less nutritious food. It is possible to get kids to realize that they can prevent some of the greatest health problems if they choose their diet carefully.

3. Get Them to Check Food Label

From an early age, you should work with your kids to help them understand what goes into the food. You might want to visit local farms to learn about how milk, yoghurt, cheese, meat, and vegetables are produced. However, it is even more important that you ask your kids to check the labeling on the food, especially sweets. Talk to them about GM produce and artificial coloring and flavoring that has no use for the body, and can increase the risk of health problems.

4. Create Your Family Vegetable Garden Together

Image via Elaine Casap

It is also a good idea – provided that you have the space – that you create a family vegetable garden, so your kids will know how food is produced, and have fun in the process. You can eat fresh and encourage them to eat fruit and vegetables. Picking the fruit from the tree or the strawberries is much more fun than reaching in the fridge. Your kids will notice that home grown food freshly picked tastes much better than that from the supermarket.  

5. Get Regular Checkups

You should be a role model when it comes to health and lifestyle, and you should take your kids with you to the doctor’s whenever you can. Apart from the times when they catch a cold, you should book a regular check up appointments, as well, so you can deal with problems arising as soon as possible. If you notice that your child has flat feet or a fallen arch while they are toddlers, you will have a better chance of correcting it. Likewise, if you notice that they might have a hearing problem, you can book an appointment with a hearing specialist to treat the issue before it causes your child long term problems.  

6. Oral and Personal Hygiene

As a role model, you should teach your kids how to brush their teeth from an early age, and encourage independence when it comes to washing, dressing, and even loading up the laundry basket. Your life as a parent will be much easier, and your child will develop a new level of confidence. Check on their routine, as when they turn into tweens and teens they tend neglect personal hygiene.

7. Let Their Immune System Develop

Image via Annie Spratt

While every parent wants to protect their kids from disease and infection, you should allow your child to develop immunity by not protecting them from the wind and rain. Let them play in the mud, don’t worry if they get dirty or fall off the bike. It is a natural learning curve, and it is best to let your child prepare for the greatest challenges in life.

As a parent, you are responsible for the health and well being of your kids. Start at an early age, and follow up their practices, leading by example. It is important that your kids take responsibility for their own decisions as soon as they are old enough, but they will need a lot of positive confirmation when they face peer pressure and junk food advertising later in life.

Going Healthy, Life, Parenting

Get Your Child Excited About Healthy Living

Leave a comment

healthy living, parenting, kids, healthy eating

Pexels

When we think about living a healthy lifestyle, we immediately sigh and feel defeated already about all the delicious and naughty things that we’ll no longer be able to eat – and that’s as an adult. It’s probably ten times worse being told that as a child. But as a parent, it’s your job to make it fun. You see, it doesn’t having to boring like you imagine it to be, but that’s all down to what you do and how creative you are. By no means do you have to try and make your child eat salad every day and do ten press-ups before they go to bed! – But if you’re struggling and aren’t sure what direction you need to go on – here are a couple of ideas.

Get them trying new flavors

One of the best things you can do for a child, is to encourage them to eat as many new things as possible so that they don’t turn into a picky adult that only eats chips and chicken nuggets. We all love snacks – they’re quick, accessible, and generally taste yummy, but rather than focusing on chocolate and sweets, try and implement healthy alternatives. Start with options you know they like, be it apples, or banana, or carrots, and then try and work on new things that they’ve never had before. This may be melon, or passion fruit, or avocado. Another trick to making this more exciting, is allowing them to help you prepare the food too. That way they feel involved and will be more inclined to try as they’ve been the ones peeling the skin or cutting them up. And of course, positive reinforcement always helps too.

Get them into sports

Sports are an excellent way to ensure that your child is getting active through exercise, without them knowing that that’s the intention. – Sports are fun, and for children they feel like a treat, a reward, being able to run around and let loose with their pals while enjoying a little bit of friendly competition. And all while they’re doing that, they’re getting their heart beating faster, and their blood pumping through their veins, and also burning off any excess calories they may be carrying around. Not only is it good for the physical side of health, but the mental side too. It relieves stress and releases endorphins in the brain that make you feel awesome. So take a look at some youth football uniforms and get your child decked out in the latest sports fashion to wow the team.

These are only a couple of basic ideas, but they are a great foot to start on in order to get you on the right track. The most important thing to remember is that it should be fun, and you should be bonding with your child while teaching them the importance of healthy living. Be open and honest and explain why water is so good for our bodies, and why broccoli has so many amazing benefits. – They’ll soon learn.