Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Actions speak louder than words. Kids are far more likely to copy what you do, than they are willing to follow your instructions - or at least, that is how it seems to me! This means, more seriously, that we as parents truly are role models, in every sense, and on every level.

I recently started regular swimming sessions. Swimming has been my sport of choice since childhood, but opportunities to escape for exercise tend to be a little thin on the ground when you have two small children in the house. To give myself a focus, I am planning a charity swim in the new year, and I am getting back into the swing of going more often. Our five year old daughter understands that my leaving the house on Sunday mornings is about my going out to exercise. And I like the idea that she sees me doing this on a regular basis, that she realises our local pool is not just there for her to attend swimming lessons while I drink coffee upstairs. Plus, for me, there is a huge amount of stress relief that comes with trundling up and down the pool-lane, switching off from the familiar mayhem of home.

The Importance of Exercise

A sobering piece in the Telegraph last week had me really thinking about the importance of showing our kids the importance of exercise. A broad ranging study about the fitness levels of children currently in the UK. It found that young people typically take a minute and a half longer to run a mile than their parents did at the same age. It also found that modern boys have a resting heart rate that is two beats per minute faster than boys of the same age 30 years ago. We’ve all heard the startling fact that today’s young people have potentially shorter life expectancy than older generations. Added altogether, these individual pieces of information leave us with a depressing picture of the health of the current generation of children in this country.

So, our kids are being born against a back drop of poor fitness levels, and we are amongst the greatest influences when it comes to showing them the value of keeping fit. Time for us all to step up to the plate - or the gym, or the pool. As Dr Grant Tomkinson, who led the study at the University of South Australia, states:

Less than three per cent of children between the ages of two and 15 years old currently get the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity a day...We need to inspire children to be physically active and perform exercise every day - about 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise very day like running, swimming and cycling. They can accumulate that in bite sized chunks like 10 minute bouts. We need to inspire young children to keep active to improve their general health now and in the future.

So over to you. No, it isn’t easy finding time, or the energy, for exercise. Yes, as parents with young children we run around all day after them, and it can seem illogical to conclude that we aren’t exerting ourselves enough to maintain a certain level of fitness. But, the stress that accumulates as you scoop up a grumpy, writhing toddler for the forty-third time that day, isn’t the same as the muscular release that results from twenty lengths of breast stroke or jogging a mile or two. So, as the new year approaches, make a decision to dig out your trainers for your own good - and the good of your child.

This article is a feature from the MUM.com Trusted Bloggers Club.

About the author

Leoarna Mathias

A writer who's beginning to write, claims my twitter bio. My specialist subjects include the parenting 'juggle', the 'help' we get from the policy makers, and what it means to be a mum in the 21st century. Nothing too adventurous then... Proud to lead the Trusted Blogger Club!

Click here to read my full biography.