Low priority but still a concern: my kids are going to gain weight

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why can’t they stay active? I’m doing online power yoga every day, plus running every afternoon. We also have free weights in the garage. Kids can still play outdoors every day. Have them help with yard work. Walk the dog. Ride bikes. Go for hikes. There is no reason to be sedentary right now.

Not everyone has a yard or the free time to supervise kids for hours outside on city streets on a daily basis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why can’t they stay active? I’m doing online power yoga every day, plus running every afternoon. We also have free weights in the garage. Kids can still play outdoors every day. Have them help with yard work. Walk the dog. Ride bikes. Go for hikes. There is no reason to be sedentary right now.

nope.
Our hiking trails are closed.
Our dog is a monster lab who will pull them to the ground.
Yard work, yes, the do it, but it isn't particularly calorie burning?
Free weights aren't either
My kids are 9 and 12. What will they play outdoors? And btw playing is wonderful, but it isn't exercise.
Bottom line --there will be weight gain. The key is to moderate food intake.

These are all lame excuses. And it’s the reason so many kids are fat and out of shape. I’m a fitness trainer, yoga teacher, and strength and conditioning coach. My kids are healthy, active and probably underweight despite eating all the time. They were raised to understand the importance of staying active. There is no excuse for gaining weight during this. If you do, it’s by choice.

Train the dog to walk properly on a leash. You have the time now. Until then, walk with them.

You don’t need “hiking trails” to go for a hike. Lace up your shoes and walk.

Free weights absolutely burn calories if you use them as part of circuit training or HIIT/Tabata. Add a jump rope. That alone will burn a lot of calories.

You’re asking what a 9 and a 12 year old can do outside? Ride bikes, play touch football, set up a badminton game (Cheap to buy on amazon). Hula hoops, jump rope. So many options.

Yard work burns a lot of calories. My kids have been mowing the lawn since they were about 10. It takes a couple of hours and it’s hard work.

Don’t make excuses. There are plenty of ways to stay fit, healthy, and active right now.

[Anonymous]

Look up exercise videos for kids -- there are about 2.4 billion of them. Do a different one every day.

Have a dance contest in the living room or on the patio.

Older kids can walk dogs for elderly neighbors -- my mother (76) is paying a 10-year-old to walk her dogs twice a day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why can’t they stay active? I’m doing online power yoga every day, plus running every afternoon. We also have free weights in the garage. Kids can still play outdoors every day. Have them help with yard work. Walk the dog. Ride bikes. Go for hikes. There is no reason to be sedentary right now.

nope.
Our hiking trails are closed.
Our dog is a monster lab who will pull them to the ground.
Yard work, yes, the do it, but it isn't particularly calorie burning?
Free weights aren't either
My kids are 9 and 12. What will they play outdoors? And btw playing is wonderful, but it isn't exercise.
Bottom line --there will be weight gain. The key is to moderate food intake.

These are all lame excuses. And it’s the reason so many kids are fat and out of shape. I’m a fitness trainer, yoga teacher, and strength and conditioning coach. My kids are healthy, active and probably underweight despite eating all the time. They were raised to understand the importance of staying active. There is no excuse for gaining weight during this. If you do, it’s by choice.

Train the dog to walk properly on a leash. You have the time now. Until then, walk with them.

You don’t need “hiking trails” to go for a hike. Lace up your shoes and walk.

Free weights absolutely burn calories if you use them as part of circuit training or HIIT/Tabata. Add a jump rope. That alone will burn a lot of calories.

You’re asking what a 9 and a 12 year old can do outside? Ride bikes, play touch football, set up a badminton game (Cheap to buy on amazon). Hula hoops, jump rope. So many options.

Yard work burns a lot of calories. My kids have been mowing the lawn since they were about 10. It takes a couple of hours and it’s hard work.

Don’t make excuses. There are plenty of ways to stay fit, healthy, and active right now.

PP, ignore this poster. These are tough times and I’m sure you’re doing your best.

[Anonymous]

op you are doing fine! I worry about this too with one of my kids.

Trampolines burn a crazy CRAZY huge number of calories. If you don't have one, think about getting one delivered. We have one and it helps. When all this was starting up we got a heavy punching bag and stand to hold it ($200 total on amazon) and we got a cubii under desk eliptical. I got the eliptical for dh and me but OUR KIDS LOVE IT. They are 14 and 11. It was $250 I think.

We also increased our farm CSA deliveries to every week from two farms so we are eating a LOT more fruits and vegetables.

Good luck. I am sending you a huge hug. These are tough times.

[Anonymous]

The fat phobia in this country is unreal.

[Anonymous]

It’s absolutely possible to keep enough fresh fruit in the house for a week. We do it, and we are big fruit eaters. Severely ration the junk food you buy. The nice thing about this quarantine is you can’t just run out and buy more!

On the exercise front, can you make it competitive? Like, race 5 times around the yard, cross the yard with the least amount of jumps, both you and DH take a kid as wheelbarrow and race.

[Anonymous]

how old are they? my kids are running around outside like crazy (though also eating more I think)

[Anonymous]

OP, I would focus on bigger-picture health right now, with a particular focus on mental health. Get outdoor activity because it’s good for the mind without worrying about whether it’s enough to stave off weight gain. If people who enjoy some buttered popcorn to go with a cheesy family movie, enjoy your family movie night. If people put on a couple of extra pounds during this, that will right itself when we all get back to our usual routines.

[Anonymous]

I just send my kids outside. They have so much more free time now that they aren't in activities every night. They have been biking and scootering, climbing trees, digging holes, playing soccer with each other, etc. They love and look forward to going outside every day!

[Anonymous]

Some of you are delusional, not everyone has a huge yard or can afford expensive outdoor equipment. We have a patio and a couple of scooters, that’s it. It’s been really hard to get them enough exercise daily.

[Anonymous]

My kids are losing weight. Rather than sitting all day at school DS is playing basketball on our sport court and running on the treadmill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s absolutely possible to keep enough fresh fruit in the house for a week. We do it, and we are big fruit eaters. Severely ration the junk food you buy. The nice thing about this quarantine is you can’t just run out and buy more!

On the exercise front, can you make it competitive? Like, race 5 times around the yard, cross the yard with the least amount of jumps, both you and DH take a kid as wheelbarrow and race.

I really like that mindset that you can’t just go buy more! Reframing to make dieting easier!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why can’t they stay active? I’m doing online power yoga every day, plus running every afternoon. We also have free weights in the garage. Kids can still play outdoors every day. Have them help with yard work. Walk the dog. Ride bikes. Go for hikes. There is no reason to be sedentary right now.

nope.
Our hiking trails are closed.
Our dog is a monster lab who will pull them to the ground.
Yard work, yes, the do it, but it isn't particularly calorie burning?
Free weights aren't either
My kids are 9 and 12. What will they play outdoors? And btw playing is wonderful, but it isn't exercise.
Bottom line --there will be weight gain. The key is to moderate food intake.

These are all lame excuses. And it’s the reason so many kids are fat and out of shape. I’m a fitness trainer, yoga teacher, and strength and conditioning coach. My kids are healthy, active and probably underweight despite eating all the time. They were raised to understand the importance of staying active. There is no excuse for gaining weight during this. If you do, it’s by choice.

Train the dog to walk properly on a leash. You have the time now. Until then, walk with them.

You don’t need “hiking trails” to go for a hike. Lace up your shoes and walk.

Free weights absolutely burn calories if you use them as part of circuit training or HIIT/Tabata. Add a jump rope. That alone will burn a lot of calories.

You’re asking what a 9 and a 12 year old can do outside? Ride bikes, play touch football, set up a badminton game (Cheap to buy on amazon). Hula hoops, jump rope. So many options.

Yard work burns a lot of calories. My kids have been mowing the lawn since they were about 10. It takes a couple of hours and it’s hard work.

Don’t make excuses. There are plenty of ways to stay fit, healthy, and active right now.

You sound horrid. And that your children are underweight is nothing to brag about. They probably have body dysmorphia from having a mother like you.

[Anonymous]

How about a dedicated hour of fitness daily? 12-1 is my power hour - I commit to going outside for an hour daily.