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Strollerderby
I knew this day was coming. My small girl is seven years old. So, I knew it was only a matter of time before she let me know she recognized her size and her weight – and told me if she was happy in her own skin. And asked what I thought of mine. I’ll be honest, I was hoping her innocence about all things body image would last a bit longer – say until she is 22 or so(*insert wishful thinking*), but, I suppose that isn’t realistic.
She is surrounded by images in the media – she doesn’t watch much in the way of television that might force the issue, but I certainly can’t force her to wear blinders in the check-out line at the grocer store. Body images, both large and small are plastered on the covers of magazines.
And it was just such a magazine cover today that prompted our conversation. My small girl has never heard me criticize myself physically. (Not that I don’t recognize my own flaws, but that I have deliberately chosen to keep all, “I feel fat in this”, “I hate my (insert body part)”, “I really need to head to the gym because I ate too many cookies” comments to myself in her presence.)
Do you encourage your children to play outside?
My husband and I have completely different parenting styles, as do a lot of parents, I imagine. Our kids are very young, but I often wonder how these differences will manifest themselves when our kids are of the age they want to leave the house and play with friends.
I grew up playing games with all the neighbors. Running around, climbing trees, fences the whole nine yards. I’d like my kids to have a similar childhood in that regard. I wonder if my husband will be up for letting them carouse around our neighborhood or if he’ll want to keep a constant eye on them. Also, do children even go outside and play anymore? Perhaps what I’m about to tell you will help convince my husband to take a step back from being so vigilant. Continue reading »
Ok, so technically I am only speaking for myself, but I am certain at least a few moms can relate and laugh along with me about just 5 of the many reasons I hate to exercise.
I mean, I’m not hating on exercise as a whole- I still do it- but oh man I am not one of those people that thinks it’s the highlight of my day. More like, what I dread most every day. Yes, dread is a good word for it. I thought I’d respond to this fun piece at Cafe Mom’s The Stir with my 5 Reasons Moms Hate To Exercise. Continue reading »
Does your sweetie lead you astray when it comes to healthy living?
New research shows that your honey’s bad habits are affecting you more than you think. We’re not talking about how he leaves the toilet seat up or the way her shoes are always lying in the hallway.
We’re talking health habits. That second glass of wine. The bag of chips eaten on the couch after dinner. Deciding to skip working out in favor of a movie. What our spouse does, we’re more likely to do ourselves. We lead each other into temptation.
Actually, if we’re in a same-sex partnership, we lead each other into temptation. For straight couples, it’s nearly always the guys taking the lead and the ladies following.
An area with a scene this pretty should inspire residents to spend more time outside, but apparently it doesn't since it's been dubbed the most sedentary metropolis in the country
What’s not to like about winning? Unless winning means you’re lazy and overweight. To be sure, there’s a lot not to like about that.
Some cities in America are doing their best with that dubious distinction as Men’s Health releases a list of the most exercise-phobic cities in the country. The magazine looked at how often residents exercise, the number of households that watched 15 hours of cable television a week and bought more than 11 video games a year, and the rate of deep vein thrombosis, which is a blood clot in a vein most closely associated with inactivity.
Here are the top 3 laziest cities to avoid living in if you want to raise a healthy family, followed by the 3 that are most physically active:
Skip the soda to stay at a healthy weight
How much harm can one little soda do?
Turns out, it’s the little things that add up to a wider waistline. A new Harvard study shows that small habits add up to big weight gains over the long term. The study draws on data from over 100,000 people collected over a 20 year period.
The news from this massive study is really that there is no news. The big culprits for gradual weight gain aren’t surprising. Drinking soda every day will pack on the pounds. Ditto eating potato chips. Watching TV makes you gain weight, increasing your physical activity prompts you to lose it. Getting enough sleep is paramount.
I’m a huge fan of simple living, but this new study made me want to embrace a little consumerism. Specifically, it made me want to give my kids new toys.
Kids move their bodies more when they’re given more active toys to play with, a new study found. The effect was especially pronounced in girls. With all the focus on getting kids to exercise more, this finding could be really meaningful. If all it takes is a few toys to do the trick, that’s great news for parents and educators working to get kids fit.
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