in partnership withJULY 15 – SEPT 9(no class on 8/26)10:30 AM – 11:30 AM2706 W Central ParkAve, DavenportTo register and for moreinformation contact:Suzanne Tanner641-740-7391stanner@iastate.eduIncome guidelines apply.6 July/August 2021 I QC Family Focus
by exercise.comSummer is a great time toprioritize family fitness.With more hours in theday and no evening schoolwork,the whole family can stay activetogether. Despite this extra timeand warmer weather, it can still feelimpossible to motivate your kidsto get up and move. That’s wherethe keys to family fitness successcome into play.When you choose activitiesas a group, keep it less structured,and empower your kids to makehealthy choices for themselves,you’ll find that everyone is excitedto make more time for fitness.#1 – Do It TogetherFamily fitness is not aboutthe “divide and conquer” mentality.You aren’t friends in a diet group,with your own training programsand nutrition plans. Family fitnessis about moving your bodiestogether — taking advantage ofthis time as a unit while stayingactive all summer long.Not only will it give youmore time together, but it will alsoallow you to be a fitness role modelfor your kids, which is important fortheir growth. Health.gov suggests:If children see their parentsexercising regularly, they are alsomore likely to accept it as a normalpart of their own lives. They mightlook forward to exercising ratherthan perceiving it as some sort ofpunishment. If parents commit tobecoming healthier themselves— making better nutrition choicesand performing regular physicalactivity — their children are muchmore likely to emulate thesebehaviors.When working out at home,bring out props like yoga balls,medicine balls, and a jump rope.Kids will love throwing around theyoga and medicine balls and jumproping to their hearts’ content,while you do your usual strengthroutine. Even better: bring theworkout into your backyard soeveryone can breathe in the freshsummer air between sets.#2 – Eat Healthy as a HouseholdMealtime is about morethan simply eating. It’s a chanceto put something healthy in yourbody, while role-modeling goodeating habits for your kids. Butdon’t just eat in the same room,at the same time — make healthyeating a household focus, whichmeans choosing meals together,picking out healthy ingredients asa family, and then cooking with alittle help from everyone.As you consider the many ways toeat healthy as a household, keepthese ideas and tips in mind:Choose a variety of foods –Show your kids how many healthyoptions there are to choose from.“Offering a variety of foods helpschildren get the nutrients theyneed from every food group. Theywill also be more likely to try newfoods and to like more foods,” theUSDA says.Make protein the star – Bothyou and your growing kids needprotein. Make sure everyone inthe family has protein at everymeal, including breakfast. If youdon’t have time to cook a full mealone morning, have protein shakestogether instead.Prioritize veggies overfruit – While fruit is important foreveryone’s diet, it still containssugar. Find different ways to cookveggies that make them moreappealing to your children. Trysautéing veggies with a healthysauce or roasting them witholive oil and spices. You can alsosneak vegetables into your kids’smoothies, and they won’t evenknow.Let the kids choose– Empower your little ones tochoose fun healthy foods at thegrocery store. While there needsto be some semblance of planningto make your life less hectic, starta tradition of choosing one newfruit or vegetable each week.They’ll be excited to look for funnew foods, and, better yet — evenmore excited to try it.#3 – Make It FunFitness should be fun, bothfor adults and for kids. Exerciseonly feels like a chore if you weretaught to think that way. You havea chance to show your kids thatstaying healthy and active is a funpart of life, not another thing theyhave to do.Appeal to their love offriendly competition by signingup for a race. Kids have a way ofmaking running look so effortlessbecause, for them, it is. Theiryoung energy carries them backand forth across the lawn 15 timesbefore they sit down to take abreath.Here are several otherideas to try:- Rock climbing- Swimming- Hula hooping- Obstacle or relay races- Family or neighborhood whiffleball- Bike ridesThe benefits of a healthylifestyle are endless especiallywhen everyone in the family isinvolved.QC Family Focus I July/August 2021 7