10 Ways To Improve Your Child's Health

We all want to have healthy children. Unfortunately with television and video games taking up a substantial portion of time for the average child, the exercise gained by running and playing is substantially reduced. The increasing incidence of childhood obesity and the decline in overall health are a testament to these statistics.

However, as parents we can certainly encourage certain behavior in our children to create a healthier lifestyle and better overall fitness. Below are ten ways to help improve your child’s health and ease your own peace of mind.

1. Limit the amount of time your child spends indoors. Encourage them to find other ways to spend their free time on a weekly basis. A good rule of thumb is that two hours is the maximum amount of time that should be spent sitting in front of a computer or television show.
2. Make exercise fun for them. Trying to get your child to walk or go to the health club is quite different than enrolling them in a karate class or involving them into a little league sport. If your kids are having fun, there’s a great chance they will stick to it!
3. Be a good role model. It is easy to tell your child but it is much harder to set a good example. However, the fact is most children end up repeating the same general behavior of their most significant role model – which is often a parent. Examine yourself and see if you are encouraging a healthy lifestyle by getting proper exercise and following a good diet. If you are not then make changes in your own life before expecting them in your children.
4. Make sure they get a healthy and diverse diet. An improper diet is probably the leading cause for childhood obesity. The fact that most children follow a diet consisting of primarily junk and fast food is one of the biggest factories in poor health and obesity. Encourage them to eat natural foods from each of the basic food groups as well as regular meals spaced proportionately.
5. Encourage them to drink water as opposed to soft drinks. Drinking water is more important than most people realize. Your child needs to drink from 4 to 6 glasses of water daily regardless of what else they drink. Make sure they are consuming only moderate amounts of carbonated beverages and not making them their primary source of refreshment.

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