How To Prevent Your Kids From Becoming Future Couch Potatoes

FitnessDecember 26, 2017

Usually, obese people are couch potatoes, and the problem does not begin at an old age. Those who have this problem have generally been couch potatoes from their childhood. It would be wrong to blame parents whose kids spend most of their time on the couch because they are probably at work trying to make ends meet. However, whoever is to blame, kids who spend a great deal of time on the couch are likely to have weight problems in the later stages of their life, and they are unlikely to change as they grow older. Therefore, as a parent, you have to pay some attention to your kids to ensure they do not become future couch potatoes.

Encourage Your Children To Be Active

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, has mentioned that children need between 30 to 60 minutes of exercise every day to remain lean and healthy. It can be difficult to get children off the couch just as it is to get them eat their vegetables. If your kid prefers to spend too much time on the couch, encourage him or her to get off and exercise just as you would convince them to have vegetables.

American children spend approximately 7+ hours every day in front of screens—TV, computers and other handheld devices. As a parent, you should take a stringent approach to this matter to prevent your kid from becoming a future couch potato.

What Actions Should You Take As A Parents?

You need to make some hard decisions to ensure that your children do not waver off the track; set limits on screen time. Restrict them to no more than an hour or two before in front of the screens during school days. Also, ensure that their bedrooms are not equipped with screens of any type, including computers. You must also restrict the use of handheld devices in their bedroom.

Merely restricting screen time will not increase your kids’ activity levels. Therefore, it is also necessary to schedule playtime for them. Encourage them to shoot hoops or jump rope before doing their homework. The entire family can get together to be active by getting involved in some activities on sunny days such as going for a quick walk after dinner. Involve the children in playing ball with the dog if pets are also at home.

Exposing the children to different sporting activities is also helpful. If they find something they like, they are likely to stick with it as they move from elementary to middle to high school.

According to studies, fit children perform better in school than their unfit counterparts. This is a clear indication that regular exercise will not just benefit the waistline, but will also reflect on their report card, which will look better.

Children can be difficult to move from the couch, especially as they grow into their pre teens and become teenagers. This could become a lifetime habit, and they could attempt to of a lifetime will be difficult for them to give away and could lead to attempts being made to mislead parents about the activities they are involved in. This is because they prefer to spend time on the couch, especially if you don’t restrict habit from the early stages. However difficult this may be, getting them to be active is the only option if you want to be healthy in the future. As time passes, they will start having health complications.