You can find a partner to help you get fit by shaking hands with your mother or daughter. It doesn’t really matter whether your daughter is in pre-school, grade school, teenager, etc. It will not improve your fitness, but you will gain a stronger emotional bond that will only grow with age.
Stop blaming genetics or lack of time when it comes to unwanted weight gains. The choices we make every day as we grow up, like what we consume and how active we are-are things that can be controlled. It’s NOW or NEVER.
Check out these suggestions.
Preschooler (0-5 years): This is a delicate age for girls and the perfect time to teach them the importance of playing and being active. Take her on a walk in the park before she starts to walk. Walk for 20 minutes. This will help you stay active and aware of what is going on around you. You can let your baby absorb you all the time. Join a dance class or gymnastics with your daughter once she is a bit older and you can have fun together while getting active. You could also take swimming during the summer. Children love to dive into a pool filled with colorful rings or balls. You can keep her active by rolling on a mat with her, exercising your abs while she rests on your ankle or any other way you like. Plan camping or hiking trips with your family. You can take your child on a “hikeho” in the woods. You may spend more time carrying them than not. From an early age, children are exposed to the benefits of outdoor exercise in a natural environment. Camping is no different. When your children are young, you may find it easier to begin by car camping. However, short backpacking trips can be done when they are still quite young. As your children grow, the range and scope of outdoor activities will also expand. Investing in family fitness by getting started early is a wise investment.
Grade schoolers (6-10 year olds) : Biking with your daughter can be a lot fun. You can go on a bike ride together, or explore the local paths. Include biking in your daily life. Ride to school or the grocery store together. It’s the best way to keep fit as your child grows and you do not fall behind. You can plan a hike on city paths or natural trails. Let your daughter choose the route and let her decide what type of terrain, length and supplies she will need. Skating is a sport that has been gaining popularity amongst school-going kids. Yoga, Meditation are two other activities that children can get involved in to help them cope with the current work environment.
Teenagers aged 11-16: Dance is the best exercise you can do! Ask your daughter to show you how to dance. You will gain both physical and mental fitness by letting the world loose to foot-tapping music. Try out some weekend activities like surfing, skiing or trekking. It’s important to eat healthy and burn calories. You can also help your daughter stay fit and healthy by being close to her during this time. Both are experiencing weight fluctuations as they approach the beginning and end of menstruation. You will achieve a healthy lifestyle if you combine all your exercise with nutritious foods. Cooking is a great way to lose weight.
Youth (age 18+) This is a time when many of us have a busy career and are occupied with family life and household chores. However, this should not interfere with the mother-daughter duo. You can still train together even if circumstances prevent you from doing so. Post your daily workout experiences on a blog, etc. It will help you stay motivated. When time permits, get together to work out together. Here is another experience I’d like to share with you. Carol and Kathy spend a week hiking and practicing Kundalini, hatha, and meditation. The emotional benefits were as important to them as the physical ones. They shared the sweat lodge ceremony together and kept each other calm in the tepee while a storm was raging. Carol says, “We strengthened our relationships.” Finding a spiritual pathway to fitness has helped us realize that we are truly on a joint journey. Strength training can be another way you both can get started, if you’ve not already done so.
Middle age(35+ years) Try Yoga or kickboxing. Hiking, bodybuilding, etc. are all great options. Listen to your body, and do household chores like cleaning, gardening and walking to the store. All these activities will make you healthier and fitter. Weight Trainingis an important part of every fitness program to increase metabolismand combat ageing. Add a 1 minute push-up to a 2 minute wall squat. Then add 1-2 minutes of superwoman. 2 minutes reverse lunge. 2 minutes calf lift. 2 seconds lateral raise. 1 minute shoulder press. 3 min leg raise. 3 min crunches. 2min cool down. Two or three strength-training sessions of 15 to 20 minutes per week are all that is needed to increase muscle mass.
Women Fitness encourages mother-daughter exercise. We even suggest that some grandmother-mother-daughter teams should be formulated to spread health awareness . We think it is important to start young girls on a fitness program. It’s also a great way to spend quality time with your daughter.
