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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

+1.

My kids aren’t fat, but getting them exercise now is hard. They don’t want to walk or jog. They are bored of our slack line after a week, and our yard isn’t big enough for most sports. Short of taking them outside with a whip, if they don’t want to do activities that don’t interest them, it’s not going to happen. Normally they spend a lot of time running around with friends and doing organized sports for exercise

[Anonymous]

My husband and i are both teleworking long hours and don't have a ton of time to spend exercising ourselves and our kids. Yes, they go outside, though the weather has been hit or miss, but we also are trying to supervise distance learning, cook, clean and have some family fun time. I desperately miss my gym classes, and our kids normally would be in baseball and martial arts several days per week. It's tough.

[Anonymous]

OP, please ignore the negative posters. This is not the time for those types of posters. Everyone is struggling how to get their kids to be active when we are supposed to be home. I would just try to find thirty minutes after their school work to be outside. Do you have a basketball hoop? If all else fails, I suggest that or the usual walk around. If you are a runner, a one mile run with them is efficient great but should release their energy.

Also, regarding food, just stick to three meals a day with one snack. I have been making smoothies every day which my daughter loves. Bananas seem plentiful at the stores, and I have been able to get frozen berries on my weekly trips. One thing I have noticed is we are eating less pizza and fries without eating out.

The bottom line is even if they gain a few extra (which is highly unlike), this will end. Do not worry about it!

[Anonymous]

Motivation is the key to physical activity...my kids have very competitive tryouts after this ends...they have been doing about 3-4 hours of physical activity a day because they are focused on being ready. But, it’d probably be much harder otherwise.

[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 could have posted these suggestions without being smug and condescending. Thinking of non-sport physical activities is not easy or intuitive for everyone. I am a trained teacher, I don't go into threads talking about how easy it is to home school because that would be rude.

[Anonymous]

It's not just the kids who are going to gain weight.

[Anonymous]

You control the food in the house, OP. It's not like they're getting candy at school or friends' birthday parties right now.

[Anonymous]

Every few hours I force my kids to go outside for a jump break. They must do 200 jump rope reps. Sometimes I make them do jumping jacks or climb stairs. They cannot have sweet snacks if they have not met their fruit quota. If I have time I lead them through 45 min routine.

[Anonymous]

I am making my kids use the treadmill and the elliptical. They are doing that every day. Problem is that I am cooking all the time and we all are in danger of putting on the pounds. Plus all that sleeping...uff...

[Anonymous]

I feel you, OP. Plus my only child has no sibling to run around with. I feel so bad for all these kids!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You control the food in the house, OP. It's not like they're getting candy at school or friends' birthday parties right now.

+100

[Anonymous]

Start them on a 5k training program. Running burns calories efficiently and you don't need a track. Just the neighborhood roads.

And ditto PP - the best advice here will be to limit their calories. Start each meal with fruit and vegetables, and limit drinks to water and milk.

[Anonymous]

We built PE into our kids school schedule. There are tons of good videos online.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're all going to gain the covid 15.

covid 19

[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.

Touch football is a terrible idea now, moron.