In 1983 Congress declared May as “National Physical Fitness and Sports Month”.  To celebrate, we’ve asked a few local, fitness experts to encourage and inspire families to be active.

– Brad Tillery with BCS Fitness –

Despite what some may say, kid’s listen to their parents. When it comes to helping our children engage in positive health behaviors, it is important to model behaviors we are teaching, encourage kids, and treat them respectfully.

Here are some steps we use at BCS Fitness with our children in our “Kid’s Fit Club.”  You can implement these strategies right away to improve your chances of keeping your children happy, healthy, and active this summer.

1. Promote efficacy through goal setting:  Positive experiences with exercise is a key indicator of future exercise adherence. By helping your kids set and achieve meaningful goals, you can help them develop self-efficacy that they can in fact succeed at physical activity, sports, games, etc.
2. Model the behavior that you want your kids to adopt: No one is perfect, but it is very important to lead by example when it comes to exercising. You’d be surprised how motivated children are by doing the exercises/activities that their parents do.
3. Make sure your non-verbal and verbal communication is aligned: It is estimated that 80% of all communication is non-verbal. When telling your children that they have done a great job, be sure that your body language is conveying the message. Actions such as thumbs-up, excitable clapping, nodding, and big pats on the back have all been shown to be perceived by kid’s as positive reinforcement.
4. Fitness needs to be fun and challenging:  People (both kids and adults) are much more likely to become and stay engaged in activities that they find to be exciting and appropriately challenging. Plan fun, short 20-45 min activities as part of every day and be prepared to switch things up from time to time if a game or activity doesn’t work well with your kids.

This summer, help your kids rediscover the joy of being physically active. In doing so, you can provide them with a foundation for an active and healthy life.

Looking for some great ideas for summer games, activities, and kid friendly workouts? Check out the BCS Fitness “Kid’s Fit Club” Facebook page. You’ll find great health, nutrition, and fitness tips for kids of all ages. You can also learn more about all specialty fitness programs at BCS Fitness by visiting us online at www.bcsfitness.com.

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