Anyone else not very physically active and how did your kids turn out?

[Anonymous]

I am a couch potato who was raised by couch potatoes. Because I am overweight, I decided I was going to try to raise active children. But because I'm a couch potato, I leaned heavily on classes and organized sports. My kids were in toddler dance and gymnastics, and were in those adorable little soccer clinics where 3 year olds run around entirely randomly.

One of my kids is casually active. He does rec sports, and plays one JV sport though every year it's a decision about whether or not he'll continue. He, like his parents, prefers to read and hang out at home. But since he was raised doing sports and a lot of his friends do sports, he finds some value in it. I'm comfortable that if he wakes up one morning at 30 years old, he knows enough he could join a pickup basketball league or could take up jogging. He knows his way around a gym and is comfortable in his body. Something both his parents struggle with.

My other kid is a jock. She plays a sport every season and her entire social life revolves around sports. She has no inclination towards being a coach potato. We support her in her efforts and it's meant we've learned a whole lot about having a sporty kid. I worry when she ages out of HS/College sports she's going to be at a loss for what to do with herself since she primarily plays team sports, but I'm guessing she'll find some adult leagues that scratch the itch, or transition to individual sports. I'll be surprised if she turns into a couch potato.

[Anonymous]

So are you asking if we are kind of sedentary now or in our past? I was into music and reading as a kid, and even now, kids are as active as ants! I don't think it was correlated, kids forced me to become active.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure there are people who will turn out just fine but as a lifelong athlete it makes me sad for them that they won't learn any of the lessons that playing a sport can provide--teamwork, time management, goal setting, and getting along with others to work toward a common goal, among others. They're really missing out on a lot. Team activities also look great on a resume--as a college athlete, it's been mentioned during every single job interview I've ever had.

Seriously? You think a team sport is the only way to learn these lessons? And you put your little "athletic accomplishments" on your resume? Bush league, son.

[Anonymous]

I ready physically "attractive" not active, and was briefly confused.

[lpotts]

I was very active as a kid (several types of dance, basketball, tennis, softball, etc) and although I'm less active now, I got my kids into sports early. Both play club and school soccer and both did Tae Kwon Do. Now, DD also plays softball (with my glove) and rides horses. DS runs track. They seem to both enjoy the competitive side of sports and also have fun in general.

It did take forever to get my DS into something other than club soccer. Eventually, he settled on track. I think you should try to kid into some sort of exercise, whether it's a sport or just going on walks in the woods or around the neighborhood with the dog (if you have a dog). Exercise and hanging out outside are good ways to unwind.

[Anonymous]

I opened this thinking the thread said "if you werent physically attractive" how did your kids turn out - hehe

[Anonymous]

I am a couch potato who is overweight as is my DH.

My kid is thin and super active.

I saw that our way was wrong and signed my kid starting at age 2 for all kinds of activities. It worked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure there are people who will turn out just fine but as a lifelong athlete it makes me sad for them that they won't learn any of the lessons that playing a sport can provide--teamwork, time management, goal setting, and getting along with others to work toward a common goal, among others. They're really missing out on a lot. Team activities also look great on a resume--as a college athlete, it's been mentioned during every single job interview I've ever had.

Seriously? You think a team sport is the only way to learn these lessons? And you put your little "athletic accomplishments" on your resume? Bush league, son.

On my resume, under the college portion, is listed hat I was a division 1 scholarship athlete. A huge accomplishment. I'm sorry you're so mediocre.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think that it is unlikely that a kid who isn't asking to do those kinds of activities now will suddenly discover them as an adult.

You need to do what you need to do to keep a happy home, but at some point he will stop growing and with no habit of being active, a "homebody" can quickly become a lonely 20-something with a weight problem.

I'm not saying he necessarily will, just that maybe if the three of you can dredge up an interest in anything active at all, or if he has a vague interest in something, it really might be beneficial to try to pursue it.

Total BS. I grew up in a family that never played any sports and never did any hikes. My parents are still couch potatoes.

I am 40 now and every single year I am trying to learn something new. I got a diving license when I was 20 and still dive every year. I ran my first race at 30 and keep running now. I learned to swim at the age of 25 (when I saw the ocean for the first time). I tried yoga and pilates for the fist time at the age of 35 and loved it so much! I accidentally walked into the kickboxing class last January and now doing it once a week. I tried for the first time TRX and using it once or twice a week now. I still have a tennis on my bucket list (I wait until retirement).

I never had a weight problem. Was 105 lb at 5'2 prior to having kids and 115-120lb now.

Total BS? Why? Because you "found" activity in middle age? You do know that's unusual, right? Most people pick up habits like finding time to be active, when they're young.

I also note that your kids are being raised entirely differently, so you will have no way to know if they would have followed in your path or not.

I'm not sure why these conversations always end up being about the benefits of organized sports. I agree that teamwork and sportsmanship are great to learn, but the lifelong habit of getting out of your house and being active is something that does not require team sports. What it does require is a little bit of effort, whether to find a place to do it (skating, rock climbing), someone to teach you how (swimming, tennis), or just to fit it in your schedule (walking, running), or to get gear that fits and is in good repair (biking), or, if you are so inclined, to find a team (ultimate, soccer).

[Anonymous]

interesting thread.

Neither DH or I are into team sports. I come from a culture where team sport was a compulsory part of schooling, regardless of how good you were, and I haaaaaaated them. Hated. They were the worst part of school for me. I swore I would never put my kid through that. DH was just never interested enough to pick one up.

However, we are both very active as 40-somethings now. I bike commute to work 4-5 times a week and so does DH. Our child is also very active, but unlike us she actually likes basketball so we've had to step up our game a bit. As long as she's doing some kind of exercise we don't care. IMO, a lot of what is taught in team sports is also taught in things like choir, band, dance, etc etc.

I agree with the others that you don't always control how your kids turn out but I do think introducing them to different physical activities is a good idea.

[Anonymous]

My kids have never been interested in sports. They would rather work and make money. My three older boys were doing tree work with their dad (learning to rope out trees, use chainsaws, climb with climbing equipment, trim, work around power lines and chippers) before they were teens. They also grew up doing lots of yard work and working in gardens. My youngest ones do yard work with their older brother because he owns a mowing business on the side that he started when he was 15. Not everyone needs to play sports to keep in shape.

[Anonymous]

It's so interesting how this turned into a thread on sports.

The OP asked about activity, period, and people are now posting about the benefits of organized sports.

Why is that? Do you automatically think "team sports" when you hear "active kids?" I don't. I think running or biking in the neighborhood, climbing trees, maybe families who do things like hike or throw a ball on the weekends ...

Why the jump to organized sports from "being active?"

[Anonymous]

I was nominally active as a kid and never integrated exercise into my life and I wish I had, especially before I had children. My kids are nominally active because my husband and I are nominally active.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think that it is unlikely that a kid who isn't asking to do those kinds of activities now will suddenly discover them as an adult.

You need to do what you need to do to keep a happy home, but at some point he will stop growing and with no habit of being active, a "homebody" can quickly become a lonely 20-something with a weight problem.

I'm not saying he necessarily will, just that maybe if the three of you can dredge up an interest in anything active at all, or if he has a vague interest in something, it really might be beneficial to try to pursue it.

Total BS. I grew up in a family that never played any sports and never did any hikes. My parents are still couch potatoes.

I am 40 now and every single year I am trying to learn something new. I got a diving license when I was 20 and still dive every year. I ran my first race at 30 and keep running now. I learned to swim at the age of 25 (when I saw the ocean for the first time). I tried yoga and pilates for the fist time at the age of 35 and loved it so much! I accidentally walked into the kickboxing class last January and now doing it once a week. I tried for the first time TRX and using it once or twice a week now. I still have a tennis on my bucket list (I wait until retirement).

I never had a weight problem. Was 105 lb at 5'2 prior to having kids and 115-120lb now.

Total BS? Why? Because you "found" activity in middle age? You do know that's unusual, right? Most people pick up habits like finding time to be active, when they're young.

I also note that your kids are being raised entirely differently, so you will have no way to know if they would have followed in your path or not.

I'm not sure why these conversations always end up being about the benefits of organized sports. I agree that teamwork and sportsmanship are great to learn, but the lifelong habit of getting out of your house and being active is something that does not require team sports. What it does require is a little bit of effort, whether to find a place to do it (skating, rock climbing), someone to teach you how (swimming, tennis), or just to fit it in your schedule (walking, running), or to get gear that fits and is in good repair (biking), or, if you are so inclined, to find a team (ultimate, soccer).

Different PP. I also got active in my 30s. I was into music during school years. Times are changing and more people are getting more and more active at any age. In my neighborhood, three years ago I saw an elderly gentleman,overweight walking around, and it was more and more, he is pretty skinny now, then there is another neighbor, also older, but not elderly that I notice walking a lot. Sometimes people start being active even later in life, I think this is happening more and more nowadays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure there are people who will turn out just fine but as a lifelong athlete it makes me sad for them that they won't learn any of the lessons that playing a sport can provide--teamwork, time management, goal setting, and getting along with others to work toward a common goal, among others. They're really missing out on a lot. Team activities also look great on a resume--as a college athlete, it's been mentioned during every single job interview I've ever had.

I feel sorry for people who are so one-dimensional that they can't see anything beyond their own life.

There are teams that do not involve sports. There are activities that involve teamwork, time management, goal setting and getting along with others.

You must bring up sports in your interviews or be really really young. Because I promise you, "Did you play team sports" is not a question most professional workplaces ask.

OP - you are fine. Encourage your children to do things, but you do not have to be one of these parents that drives their kids to be doing an activity every second of every day. Those kids do NOT learn how to think for themselves. They learn to go to activity A, follow the rules, leave before it is over to go to Activity B.