Why Do You Go to Fusion, Mom?

Here at Fusion we all know the many benefits of keeping fitness a priority. Weight loss, building lean muscle, and those sweet, sweet endorphins keep us coming back for more even when we sweat more in an hour than during the rest of the 106 degree days we’ve been having. 

But what about our kids? While they play happily in the childcare room as we get our hourly dose of increased heart rate every day, it’s important to remember that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children six to seventeen years of age get at least an hour of moderate-intensity exercise per day too. I know the three tantrums, hourly sibling wrestling matches, and the time(s) you had to chase her down the Target aisle seem like plenty of movement for them since we collapse into an exhausted heap each night. But they still need a period of time specifically devoted to getting their little hearts pumping.

So what exactly are they supposed to do? While most of their hour should be aerobic activity, it’s also beneficial to bring in muscle building (sit-ups, push-ups) and bone strengthening (jumping rope, running) activities into the mix a few times per week. Thank goodness for the soccer coach living vicariously through his first grade team, right? They love getting our kids to pump out more push-ups than we can even do, and running them in circles until they need to gulp down the huge green water bottles from Dick’s.

But aside from sports, which help kids with their athletic ability but even more so with their social skills and team player mentality, it’s also good for kids to live active lifestyles with their families. It’s one thing to show our kids how important exercise is by heading off to Fusion each morning, but how fun is it for the kids when the whole family gets together to play football or go on a long walk? We may tend to think the “monkey see monkey do” idea is all we need, but including them in physical activity is even better.

Family Fun Magazine is always full of games you can play to get everyone jumping around, from obstacle courses you can set up in the backyard to more ideas with water balloons than you'd care to read. They even get crafty, so before you head out to toss the football with dad, you can stitch it together from socks the kids have outgrown and mom’s old sit-upon from her fourth grade Girl Scout troop. Okay, that may be an exaggeration, but check out this plethora of summer activities that sound like fun.

Since it’s pretty much too hot to really enjoy any outdoor activities right now, indoors is where its at for fitness. If you’ve already gone to Monkey Bizness twice this week, here are a couple of other ideas:

• Show your kids some of the Fusion poses you need to work on, and see if they can’t out-do you in a plank, push-up contest, or the ol’ football-run-for-10-seconds-into-a-burpee-move. If anything they’ll be impressed that their mom busts this out in class, and not wanting your 6 year old to do more reps than you can be great motivation to push it.

• Do an exercise DVD together. It’s always fun to watch them giggle through the moves, and since you’ve already been to Fusion for the day you can take it easy and play around. Grab Jane Fonda from the 80s and you can even play dress up and imitate the backgrounders.

• Tried and true games from childhood are always fun, especially if you have a nice big basement to play in. Jumping rope, football games played on your knees, and Simon Says can be fun, challenging, and keep the clock ticking much faster than plopping them in front of the TV.

• Check out this list of winter activities from the Obesity Action Coalition (yes, Kansas, we have to play winter activities in the middle of summer due to a lovely thing we get to call excessive heat warnings.)

• Don’t forget the dance party. Turn the tunes up and show your kids the reasons they will object any good intentions you have of chaperoning their next dance. 

Keeping kids healthy, we know, has as much to do with physical activity as it does the food give them. Here are a few facts to consider:

1. Over one third of American adolescents and children are overweight or obese, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.)

Immediate Health Effects (listed on CDC website):

•Obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

•Obese adolescents are more likely to have prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels indicate a high risk for development of diabetes.

•Children and adolescents who are obese are at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as stigmatization and poor self-esteem. 

Long-term health effects:

•Children and adolescents who are obese are likely to be obese as adults and are therefore more at risk for adult health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis. One study showed that children who became obese as early as age 2 were more likely to be obese as adults.

•Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk for many types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, kidney, pancreas, gall bladder, thyroid, ovary, cervix, and prostate, as well as multiple myeloma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

2. American kids spend an average of 3-4 hours per day watching television, according to American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

3. One fourth of Americans eat fast food every day, with the total of $100 billion being spent in the US on fast food each year. Check out Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser for some really nasty details.

USDA's updated food pyramid

4. According to CDC, only 21% of American children eat their 5 or more recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables. (No, school districts, the tomato sauce on pizza should NOT be counted!)

5. Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease, and many other damaging and preventable diseases have risen drastically in the last 30 years here in America. Check out journalist Michael Pollan and his extensive research on our Western diet.

Not only is it important for us to keep our children healthy, but ourselves too. If we make our kids eat carrots while we sneak the entire bag of Pirate’s Booty (that’s...er...an example I heard from a friend) then we aren’t treating ourselves in the right way. Our kids are watching every move we make (just in case you needed another source of stress for motherhood) so we must set good examples ourselves if we want them to adopt a healthy lifestyle as they mature. Eating delicious and nutritious foods and being active makes such a huge difference in our physical as well as mental health, and just feels good all over. So enjoy the day, and eat (vegetables), drink (water), and be merry (go on a family walk)!