Healthy Habit New Year Resolutions to Make With Your Children
It’s the time of year when many of us make New Year’s resolutions. If you have children, making resolutions together is a great way to make positive changes. New Year’s resolutions are also a wonderful opportunity to teach children about a healthy lifestyle and emphasize the importance of fitness.
If you want to create resolutions with your kids, here are some ideas to try:
Drink water every day
You can set up a chart in your kitchen, so your family members can keep track of everyone’s water consumption. Everyone who meets the goal earns a gold star or another small treat. Drinking water ensures everyone stays hydrated and healthy.
Take a walk with the family on Saturday mornings
This is a great resolution because it encourages fitness and family time together. You can try exploring different places to walk every Saturday morning, such as parks or trails systems. You can also set goals for every hike. For example, in the fall you can look for beautiful leaves and make it a competition: Who can spot the most beautiful leaf? In the summer and spring, you can have a contest to see who can spot the most birds.
Make healthy snacks
Everyone loves snacks, but there’s a big difference between eating processed foods high in calories and eating healthy snacks such as vegetables, fruits, nuts and other good-for-you options. Consider setting a resolution to try two or three new healthy snacks every week.
Or try setting up a competition to see who can create the healthiest and most creative snack options each week. When everyone is working together to make healthy snacking a priority, it’s easier to say no to potato chips and fatty foods and yes to healthier options.
Engage in thirty minutes or more of healthy exercise per day
Most experts agree that obesity is an epidemic, and most of us aren’t getting enough exercise every day. Make it a goal to exercise for 30 minutes or an hour every day together as a family. Consider practicing basketball on your hoop in the driveway, taking a walk together, jumping on a trampoline, setting up a family exercise room to work out together or getting active on a playset. A bit of healthy exercise as a family is fun and healthy.
Read or learn something every day
Your mind requires daily exercise, just like your body. Learning something new every day, such as reading, doing puzzles and otherwise engaging your brain will keep you sharp and may help ward off Alzheimer’s and other diseases and disorders. Consider making it a goal to share a new fact everyone has learned, or you can try reading out loud together. A game or puzzle night is another fun idea to get your brains going.
Have one hour of screen-off time every day
Most of us engage with screens frequently throughout the day. We watch television, sit in front of computers and rely on our tablets and phones. Stepping away from screens is one of the best ways to keep the family connected and engaged with each other. It allows us to stretch, move and engage with family and friends.
Come together for dinner on weeknights
Eating healthy meals together as a family allows you to reconnect and develop a stronger bond, which is important for emotional fitness and healthy relationships. Eating meals together also encourages everyone to slow down, unwind and destress. It also ensures everyone is eating at least a few healthy meals per week.
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