Fight Childhood Obesity -- Get Your Kids Outside and Active

By now, everyone has heard that there is an obesity epidemic among children. It is mentioned quite often on news programs and talk shows--and you'd be hard pressed to find a parenting magazine without some sort of reference to the topic. Theories abound on what should be done about this, but the bottom line is that parents need to get their kids outside and exercising more often.

Think about it. Compare your childhood to that of your children. Chances are you spent a great deal of every weekend day running around outside. You probably spent any time you could get (away from household chores, of course) riding bikes, playing kickball or softball, or just playing outside and having fun. Summers and days off from school were for living outside.

Do your kids act like that? Or do they spend a lot of time in front of the computer and the television? Are they always asking to play video games instead of asking to go to the park?

Parents need to get their kids interested in exercise and passionate about the idea of playing outside--this is what will help to fight the obesity epidemic.

Here are some ideas on how to get your kids excited about being outside and use that enthusiasm to help keep your kids fit all year long:

Get some new outdoor gear. You don't have to spend an arm and a leg; there are some very inexpensive options for outdoor play. A tetherball set can be purchased for less than $30--boys and girls of all ages really enjoy these. Badminton and volleyball sets are also quite easy on the pocket; just make sure to purchase extra birdies and an extra volleyball. Take a walk down the sporting goods aisle with your children to see what else might be of interest to them.

Plan rewards around outside activities. Instead of offering your kids a trip to the pizza joint as a reward for, say, getting a good report card, suggest a family hike at a new park that you have never visited (look online for ideas). Or, if your kids keep their chores completed for a week, instead of offering a visit to the ice cream parlor, why not visit the local batting cage or mini golf course?

Be wise about buying for kids. Start a new household policy. Tell your kids that if they want to purchase video games, computer games, DVD's, or other electronics, they must pay with their allowance. If, however, they want to purchase sporting goods or equipment for outdoor play, you will put that item on the list for a possible reward at some point (assuming, of course, that the item in question is a reasonable price).

Set limits on electronic time. Adopt another household rule. Tell your kids that for every half hour that they spend outside, they can have 10 minutes of electronic time to use on video games, computer time, or whatever they wish. They are welcome to bank their time, of course; in other words, they can spend three hours outside and then come inside for an hour of electronic time. (However, you will probably soon find that your kids begin to forget about their banked electronic time.)

Probably the wisest course of action you can take toward getting your kids interested in being outside and being active is to spend time outside yourself-with your kids. Play catch or volleyball with the kids, or even just a relaxing game of horseshoes. Fly a kite or teach them how to weed the garden with you. Show them that being outside and getting exercise is important to you, and it will soon become important to them.