Being Active as a Family in Your Garden
Gardening is a terrific way to stay active with your family. For adults, gardening provides a chance to spend time outdoors, relieve stress and be physically active. Your whole family can benefit from the same things, while taking pride in growing delicious and nutritious foods.
Obesity in children is a growing epidemic. According to a US Health Survey, one in five children in the US between the age of 6 and 17 is obese, and the numbers are growing. Healthy eating and being active is one effective way to fight this problem.
People of all ages can benefit from increased activity and better nutrition. Being outdoors is a great alternative to less active indoor activities. So why not plan a family garden and get outside together?
Gardening can provide a great workout for anyone. Include the family in your pre-gardening walk and stretching. It's a great chance to take a look at what's growing and talk about it with your kids. Once everyone is warmed up, it's time to get active. Digging, weeding, thinning plants and even watering incorporate active movements into your gardening time. Provide children with their own 'kid-sized' tools to work with ' a small child working with a big shovel probably won't work out too well.
Gardening together gives you a chance to create something lasting with your children, while enjoying a healthy level of activity. You can all plan the garden together, from including favorite vegetables, to adding imaginative touches to dividing up the responsibilities.
In addition to the calories you and kids will burn while working, gardening is also a great way to teach your children about health and nutrition. They will learn that the delicious fruits or vegetables that they have helped to grow are full of vitamins and minerals that help keep them strong and healthy. Of course, healthy eating habits started at a young age are beneficial to everyone.
Being active in the garden and eating a diet filled with nutritious garden produce is something that will benefit the whole family. Gardening together is a great alternative to indoor activities like watching TV or playing video games. Children will love being outdoors, and will take pride in growing their own foods to share with friends and family.
When you show your kids that you enjoy being active and value the produce that comes from the garden, you are sharing a valuable activity that will start lifelong healthy habits. And you might be surprised at how much you'll enjoy the benefits of this family activity yourself. An increase in exercise, being outdoors and healthy eating will bring you a positive new outlook on life.
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Gardening can help boost your mood and your health. Gardening is also a great way to lose weight, so get out there and enjoy the outdoors.
