Healthy living

Regan and Nolan have decided that they wants to do another race.So, we are going to do the Reindeer Run in a few weeks. I am so thrilled that both of my kids want to participate in another run. After three years of training for triathlons, dragging them to the gym, on days they would rather stayed home, I have seen a change in them both. At first, I would beg Regan to work out with me, trying to get her interested in running, swimming, biking, anything that would keep her active. I even asked her pediatrician how to make her "want" to do it.. and she gave me some great advice. Stop asking her, stop trying to make her.. just go to the gym regularly, be active and let her watch you. Her pediatrician told me that, studies show, that children who grow up with watching their parents live an active life style, become active and stay active. She asked about my parents, and I told her my dad was a marathon runner. point taken.
so that is what I did. It was hard, because I like things to happen on my time, and this was not one of those times. I had to be patient, and wait.. I have no patience. I wanted to lecture, scream, beg anything, for it to happen, but I kept quiet. When they asked if I would go outside with them, my answer was always yes(even when I would rather sit in front of my t.v. or computer) when they asked if we could walk around the block.. again,yes.. after my workouts at the gym, we went swimming for fun. There were times, I didn't want to go to the gym, or do a run outside, but I did. I knew that I was not only doing this for me, but for my kids, and there is nothing I wouldn't do for them. Teaching them through actions and not words, was something that I had to learn. And as I became more active, they became more active. Then sometime over this summer, Regan began to work out with me. She became interested in the weights,competing with me on the rowing machine, and biking. She loves to go to the gym now, at times when I don't feel like it, she is my motivator. At her doctor visit last month, her cholesterol, which was too high , went down 30 points,back to normal, her BMI went down 3 points into the normal range! That is something to be excited about. She is very proud of herself, because she did it on her own,and it was a great testimony on how exercise, does impact your health.Her peditrician was very excited,because she not only saw a difference in her health, but also in her confidence.
Our children are watching us. They see are good habits, and notice are bad. They learn from who we are, what we do, how we act, the things we say, and the things we don't. We don't have to lecture them to become who we want them to be, we need to BE who we want them to become. There can be no excuse, our children's lives depend on our actions. Being unhealthy isn't an option, because our children are the ones' who will suffer. I believe we are in an epidemic. With all the video games,computer games, IPhone,IPods,and IPads, more people are getting sedimentary, and obese. Children are getting heart disease, and diabetes,at an earlier age. We must, as parents, take our responsibility to become healthy serious, or we risk shortening our children's lives. It starts at home, with ourselves.Being the example.
I look back at my father, and rain or shine he was running(his legacy).He competed in marathons all over the world, I was so proud he was my father. I still brag on all his accomplishments. He set the bar high.
My children are watching me,it is my responsibility to teach them, through my own actions, how to live a healthy lifestyle, so that they can live a very long, healthy happy, life!