Category Archives: Going Strong

Going Healthy, Going Strong, Life, Parenting

How To Get Your Child Exercising

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Getting your child to exercise in the current day and age is often a lot easier said than done. After all, we live in a period whereby playing on video games for hours on end seems to be the norm. Needless to say, this is no good for your child, not only in terms of maintaining a healthy weight but also in terms of their development and their social life. With that being said, read on to discover some of the different ways that you can encourage your child to exercise.

Choose something fun – There is only one place to begin, and this is by choosing something fun. You can find some suggestions at mommypoppins.com. Your child is not going to want to exercise if you suggest something that he or she does not enjoy. The more a child enjoys an activity, the more they are likely to continue with it, and they won’t even see it as exercise either.

Limit computer and television use – If you are going to be able to get your child moving, you need to make sure that there is not something else that is more tempting, i.e. television or video games. Each child should only be allowed one to two hours of total screen time per day. This includes video games, computers, videos, and television. Once this time is up, they will be more encouraged to play outside because they know they can’t sit glued to the screen anymore.

Turn it into a fun family activity – You can use exercise as an opportunity to get all of the family together and do something fun. After all, we all need physical activity, irrespective of how old we are. There are so many different activities you can do, from laser quests, such as those at stratumhq.com, to assault causes. Why not get a different family member to choose the activity each time? You could do something every month or fortnight – whatever suits you and your budget best.

Provide active toys – The fourth and final tip is to buy your child active toys. Of course, you can wait until it is their birthday or Christmas to do so. If it is fun and benefits your child’s health, it is a winner! There are lots of toys that will encourage children to get outside and be active, from jump ropes to balls. Take a look online and see the different options that are available.

As you can see, there are a number of different options available to you in terms of encouraging your child to exercise. If you follow the suggestions that have been presented above, you should be able to get your child exercising more regularly. Not only will this ensure they get the physical activity they need, but it can help with other elements of their social and personal development too.

Going Strong, Parenting

Tips for Team Parents in Youth Sports

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We have yet to sign Avery up for any youth sports, but the time is fast approaching. I recently found the article How to be a Great Team Parent on Fix.com and think the info on parent conduct, trip organization, and communication will prove handy when the time comes.

Here’s a snippet from the beginning of the article:

Take the burden off your (likely unpaid) team coach and volunteer to oversee team communication. It’s easier than ever to communicate with other team parents online and via phone, but start the season with a face-to-face team meeting. This is a great time to review expectations from other parent volun-teers. Come prepared with information and schedules for:

  • Team snack responsibilities and requirements: who brings what snacks and when?
  • Transportation expectations: does everyone drive his or her own child, or will you carpool?
  • End-of-season events such as a party or final meeting.

Most importantly, decide on a single method of communication for your team. Pick one communication app or website and stick to it. Gather every parent’s e-mail address and phone number if not already provided and give parents a heads up how often you plan to communicate with them. Be mindful of privacy: choose a communication method every parent is comfortable with. For in-stance, some may not want to give their e-mail address, or others may not want to communicate via an online service.

If you have kids in team sports or will in the future, you might find the tips/advice in this article by Amy Whitley as a great go-to guide.


Source: Fix.com Blog

Do you have anything to add or suggest about the article? I’m still a novice in this area, so I’m open to any and all helpful advice. Even what the best starter sport would be. I’m thinking something low cost like soccer which is more for the social part when they are 3-5 years old.

Is this an accurate assumption?

Going Strong

Get Combat Power Fit With This Pokemon GO Workout

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What did we do before the release of Pokemon GO? If it was just sitting around, then most of us are better off with the popular app. Except, maybe, your actual pet….

funny_pokemon-go-dog

I haven’t even played the game for a week, and try to keep it minimal. Staring at my phone as I walk around is not my favorite pastime, so luckily its addictive power has not fully overwhelmed me…yet. It has, however, given me an idea for a way to turn it into a workout.

Nothing like getting outdoors with your smartphone and working up a sweat as you hunt Pokemon. There’s a sentence I never thought I’d say. But in an effort to roll with the current trends, I’ve found myself playing the game, and even saving my daughter from a vicious Pidgey attack.

Pidgey Attack on Daughter_Pokemon GO

She’s lucky I have a accurate Pokeball throw!

Anyway, as I’m sure many of you already have the game and are familiar with the platform, let’s get right into the workout.

Combat Power Pokémon GO Workout

1. Find a popular Pokemon hangout. Preferably an open area like walking/jogging trails or a park to give you plenty of space. Inside your home will suffice too.

2. Launch the app and walk/jog/run until Pokemon show up. If inside, running probably won’t happen. Take this Pinsir I found wandering inside our home, for example.

Pokemon GO Pinsir in House

3. Catch the Pokemon.

4. Once caught, you’ll see the list of stats about your fresh catch. What you want to look for is the CP (Combat Power) of your Pokemon. Use each number to perform bodyweight exercises.

Pokemon GO Pinsir Stats

Notes:

For this Pinsir, his CP was 88. So I would choose to do 8 reps of one exercise followed immediately by 8 reps of another exercise. As your experience level increases, so will the CP, even into the triple digits. Then you’ll have 3 different exercises to perform for each catch.

If you get a number with a 0 in it, like 10, just do one exercise of 10 reps. Or, if it’s a triple digit like 220, then do 2 reps of an exercise, then 20 of another.

Here’s a useful list of bodyweight exercises to use. Choose ones you’re able to do with good form, and with opposing muscle groups for multiple sets. For example, if your Pokemon has a CP of 345, you’d perform 3 push ups, 4 sit ups, and 5 squats.

List of Bodyweight Exercises

Walking, jogging, running, or sprinting until you find another Pokemon depends on your fitness level as well as your chosen location. Please please PLEASE, do not sprint into the street!

Pokemon GO is already great for getting sedentary folks moving more, but for those that want more, this is a simple workout you can do anywhere. All the while, you’ll add to your Pokedex. Like killing catching two birds Pidgey’s, one stone.

To some, this might sound easy at first, but find an area swarming with Pokemon and you’ll feel after a while, I promise.

funny_pokemon-go-post-leg-day_meme