More than five years ago, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) published Guidelines for School and Community Programs to promote physical activity in children and teenagers, in hopes of helping them develop lifelong exercise and physical fitness regimens.
If you, as a parent, understand and embrace these guidelines, you can work with your school system and with community centers and programs, like the YMCA and the Boy Scouts, to encourage and even help to develop physical activity and exercise programs that support your goals.
If your child is obese, slightly overweight or simply in danger of falling into the great, black pit of video gaming, you need to get them off the couch, out from in front of the computer or video game station, and out into the fresh air to get some exercise.
Without exercise, diet is much less successful.
Although your child may balk at physical activities at first, they will eventually find that they feel better, sleep better and function better when they exercise.
Take a look at some of the CDC guidelines and look for ways to get your child more involved in exercise, and/or to get YOURSELF more involved in the...