This is a contributed post and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Meet The Harris Family.
If there’s anything you want to change in your life then you can always turn to your family for support. That’s why the best way in which you can all grow and improve is to do things as a family. Working together to support each other as a tightly-bonded unit won’t only help each of you individually but it’ll improve your relationships with one another within the family. In the case of getting healthy, this is certainly the case.
No matter how young or old each of your family members may be, it’s never too early or too late to start taking better care of your health. It’s important, regardless of your age. And you should always be aiming to not only improve your own health, but to ensure that your children (and partner) understand the importance of looking after themselves too. Here’s some advice on getting healthy as a family.
Get moving.
Whilst you can’t stop kids from moving when they’re very little, you might find that they slow down a little as they get a little older. In particular, you’ll probably notice this if they’re reaching or have reached adolescence. And you might not move as much as you used to because you’re exhausted when you get in from work. The modern age invites a very sedentary lifestyle, but it’s unhealthy for all of us. Still, the possibility for change is very real. There’s a lot you could be doing together as a family. You could all go out on family walks to the park, for example.
Age is only a number and it shouldn’t stop you from exercising just as much as your kids. Of course, if you’re struggling to keep up because of a serious physical impairment, then you might want to take things a little more slowly. You might also want to look into social security disability options so as to see if you can get state support for your condition. In any case, suffering from long-term medical issues can make it difficult to break the sedentary cycle. However, you don’t need to over-exert yourself. As long as you keep your body moving in some capacity every day then you’ll be doing a lot to stay healthy.
Eat well.
When it comes to healthy eating, you have all the power to sway the family in the right direction. Once you’ve developed unhealthy eating habits, it’s hard to unlearn them. But, that doesn’t have to be the case for your children. If you introduce them to healthier food then they’ll become accustomed to that way of eating. That’ll make it easier for them to develop a healthy diet on a permanent basis. They’ll be set for life. Plus, making healthy meals for your children should force you (and your partner) to eat more healthily too.
If you’re concerned as to what on earth you should be feeding your children then focus simply on giving them a full diet. They need all the sustenance in the world as they’re growing up. A diet rich in calcium, carbohydrates, iron, potassium, protein, and other vitamins and nutrients is a good start. Everything should be consumed in moderation, however. That means the occasional treat is fine as long as there’s both variety and consistency in their diet. Nobody should be going hungry, so worry less about what they shouldn’t be eating and more about what they should be eating. Unsubstantial meals will do more damage in the long run (for kids and adults).
