Keeping your Kids Active and Healthy this Winter and always

My girls recently had their 5 year health physical.  I wasn't looking forward to it.  The last time we went at 4 I just knew it was going to be a good report-hearing, vision, a little concerned, but overall my daughters are in good shape, literally and physically.  They have an amazing food palette and in New York we were outside almost every day, cold, rain, snow, whatever!

Since moving back to Maryland, we have become indoor people.  We love our home, it's cozy, it's got a finished basement with loads of movies to watch, some we haven't seen for many years, unopened packages screaming for my attention.  My husband and I garden, pull weeds, we've planted some privacy trees, but for the most part, we're either reading, preparing to cook, or running from one errand to another.  It's been one busy year for the McCoy family of West Annapolis, Maryland.

I like to think of myself as an active person but recently I had my health physical for the year.  After my exam, the nurse practitioner told me I looked healthy, I probably am but lets test your blood and look at the panel.  Let's also look at your magnesium level-are you eating enough leafy green stemey things?  Of course I am I told her. We'll lets see. My blood came back within two days and next to my cholesterol readings, it said a little elevated, exercise.  I'm smiling now because I most certainly have been exercising but here's the kicker:  3 days per week.  My husband: everyday.

More often than I am exercising, I am tiding up, cleaning, or putting a project together.  My latest, painting the powder room (and it needed it).  What can I think of next that needs to be done?  Am I ignoring my kids, the dog?  Does my little puppy need to be walked?  Yes she does and often it's just right out the door and down the street.  I bet she'd loved a walk by the beach............do I have time for that-NO.  I mean YES I do.

What I'm trying to say is that other activities in my life come first before EXERCISE.  I can't let that happen to my kids.  I don't want them to think it's not important, that I don't value their time and health or mine.  If I can change up every other day or couple of weeks what I'm doing and involve them for the betterment of their health and mine, than I'm going to do it!!!!

Here's a little list from their doctors office which entail little ways to get your kids active in the winter:

1) Have a dance party-turn on that music and get your groove on, even if it is to the soundtrack of "Sophia the First"!

2) Involve the kids in your chores.  If your going up and down the steps (carefully) dusting, give them a job to do-it empowers them! (my youngest loves running the vacuum)

3) Jump rope in the garage or in the driveway (carefully).  My girls are always asking me how to jump rope and often times I'm painting a piece of furniture while they're trying to do it.  Jumping rope gets that heart rate up, up, up!!

4) Play tag and/or hide and seek.  My girls personally worship this game and it's easy to do.  You could hide right around the corner in plain sight and they get a kick out of it!  Laughter also keeps the heart healthy!

and LASTLY......................

5) Play ball or just kick around the soccer ball at a park.  It takes time and effort to get there I know but it's worth the satisfaction when you see other kids and their parents doing it and you just know you made the right decision.  Seeing other kids play and get exercise is encouraging to us all!

Sophie playing horseshoes.  Your still burning calories here!  Of course supervise your children at all activity levels.