Want a healthy family? On your marks, get set, go!

Posted by Joe O'Donnell on behalf of Sylvia Meléndez Klinger:

Did you have a chance to go for a walk, jog, ride a bike, or any other physical activity today? Chances are not. Believe it or not, less than 5% of adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day, and only 1 in 3 get the recommended amount of physical activity each week. Things aren’t much better for our children: only 1 in 3 is physically active every day.
I know what you’re saying: I’m busy with work, and the kids are busy with school and homework; we just don’t have time for anything extra. Finding the time to build in fitness for you and your family IS challenging, so consider this your how-to guide – how to help your family go the distance and have some fun along the way! 
Have a plan – Life tends to get more exciting (and healthy) when we plan ahead of time, so try to plan activities for a week or a month at a time.  
Start slow – Don’t try to revamp exercise habits overnight. Instead, choose one specific goal at a time, and don’t rush.  Remember this is going to be for a lifetime not just for a week. As time passes, each week or month, re-evaluate your goals as a family. If you initially aimed to walk 1 mile each weekend, try for 2 miles once you’ve all gotten the momentum going.
Get creative – Allow your kids to join you in age-appropriate activities.  Letting kids help you in the creative planning gets them excited about an activity and can spark creative fitness activities your family will enjoy. For example, the whole family can have a blast getting active this weekend at this FREE event: The Coca-Cola Family Field Day on Saturday, August 24, 2013 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Washington Park (5531 S. Martin Luther King Dr.). Your family can enjoy field day activities like trike races, six-legged races, a bubble ball push fitness bootcamps, and more. 
Be a good role model – Kids usually want to do what their parents do.  Being active every day is a great way to model fitness habits. Research shows that children are often more willing to eat healthy foods and be active if they see their parents and other family members doing these things first.  For best results, try to get everyone in the family involved. 
Never give up – Without a doubt you will find resistance from someone in the family.  Even when the family does not show much progress or interest, don’t be discouraged.  Chances are that you are making progress in many other ways:  you are probably going out on Sundays together more often, planning activities together, feeling more energetic, etc.  If you stay the course, you will continue to make progress.
Celebrate – When the family has turned a healthy change into a habit, it’s time to celebrate!  Reward the entire family with a fun activity everyone will enjoy. Activities such as camping, visiting an amusement park or just a day enjoying events in your community will let them know that you really care.  

Sylvia Meléndez Klinger, MS, RD, LDN is a registered dietitian and certified personal trainer and founder of Hispanic Food Communications, a food communications and culinary consulting company based in Hinsdale, IL. She provides expert advice to food, beverage and pharmaceutical companies, including The Coca-Cola Company, about healthy eating in a practical and easy way. Her recipes have appeared in television segments, product packaging, cookbooks and national health and fitness campaigns.  Prior to founding Hispanic Food Communications, Sylvia was Senior Culinary Development Specialist and Supervisor of Consumer Test Kitchens at the Quaker Oats Company.