Today, I want to address an important part of the family lifestyle. In our ever-busy lives, we often take for granted not only OUR health, but the health of our families as well. I mean think about it, if you can find excuses NOT to go to the gym and exercise, are you really going to find the motivation to encourage others to? I didn’t think so…

Doing things as a family creates family unity. A big part about health and wellness is “balance” and no I don’t mean standing on one foot. I mean dedicating your time and efforts to various aspects of your life, be it relations, finances, education, spirituality, fitness, etc. So many of us are caught up in the day-to-day melee that is life that we often overlook and neglect certain areas of our lives. This neglect leads to deterioration of relationships and can have an awful affect on our health and well-being.

For those of you who have kids, this article is especially important to you. I am currently working on a research grant studying childhood obesity. 1 in 4 kids today is either overweight or obese! 1 in 4!! Kids are developing chronic diseases that are USUALLY found in older adults…high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, and the list goes on. Part of the reason is the crap we’re feeding kids these days, but that is another story for another time. The other BIG part of it is the lack of physical activity kids are getting. Video games have become a replacement for going outside and playing tag; NBA Street Hoops has replaced REAL basketball…come on now, people!

To tie everything together, here are a few suggestions for this time of year to do something active for the whole family. For instance, it’s Fall…and the leaves are well, “falling”. Go outside and rake leaves together, not only will you be getting exercise (especially if you have a big yard), but you’ll be doing things together as a family and possibly even (brace yourself) strike up a conversation! You can also go for walks together, play touch football in your newly-raked backyard, and if the kids are insistent on playing video games, get the Nintendo Wii and play Wii Fitness. If you don’t have kids, get a couples membership at a gym or health club, join exercise classes there, hire a trainer and do group fitness, or just grab two elliptical machines side by side and get on there with your spouse and chat about your day (in between the heavy breathing you should be experiencing if you’re doing it right, by the way).

The take away message is this: Spend time as a family being active and being healthy. I know that other things might be on the forefront of your mind right now, like bills, jobs, etc…but you need to take time and focus on the most important part of your lifestyle, your family. You’ll have more focus, more energy, and less stress by striving for balance in life. Focusing on your family is step 1 of the process.

-The Wellness Guru

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