All of you dads out there... what puts the biggest smile on your face? For me, it's my kids and just about everything they do, with the exception of my 2-year whining about nothing at times.:) I have two little girls... Hope just turned 6 and Chloe just turned 2. They are the BEST! There's nothing better than coming home from a trip and hearing them say, 'Daddy's home!', as they run into my arms.
So, my wife and I are both active people and the kids see that. They see dad heading out on his bike or for a run almost daily. They sometimes see articles or ads in magazines (Triathlete, VeloNews, Inside Tri, etc.) laying around the house and get a kick out of seeing daddy's picture. Sometimes, they watch a 'check disk' of a new video we're about to release and make fun of daddy's hair , clothes, etc. (like many of you do as well, or so I hear.:). They have grown up around physical fitness, healthy eating and 'goal setting' and it's starting to shape them in a good way!
Hope joined the local Jr. swim team program a few months ago and has really taken to the water. She swims with the 'green group' (i.e. beginners) twice a week for 30 minutes each time and is progressing steadily in each stroke. I stand on deck watching her, careful not to pressure or correct her... I want it to be fun, and right now, it is!
Late yesterday after school and homework, she wanted me to show her how to do jumping jacks for 'training'. I said, 'wait a minute... I have a workout DVD to show you.', so I grabbed a copy of my Strendurance DVD and popped it in. She came out with her workout outfit and did the entire first workout of 25 minutes, start to finish! It practically made my heart melt, watching my 6 year old exercise to my training dvd... WOW! And to top it off, Chloe, our 2 yr. old, came in mid-way and while watching , started doing little modified jumping jacks and stretches. Very cool!
So there you have it... the cure to childhood obesity. As anyone who is a parent and who is reading this blog is 'active', I'm sure that your habits of goal setting, exercise and eating well rub off on your kids too. Let's all continue to set positive examples for the next generation!
Train smart,
Coach Troy
I can absolutely relate. I was a former "fat guy" who had played around with fitness during my life. My daughter turns 3 next month, my son just turned five months. I went from about 260 pounds to 200 pounds at her birth and I'm now racing and doing triathlons around 170 - 175 pounds. I get no greater thrill than when she sees me getting ready to head out (like you) and asks, "Daddy going running? Daddy going to ride his bike?" And at races she's there waving a sign yelling "Go daddy!" at the top of her lungs. THEY'RE my ultimate motivation and I tell people that the day that either one of them passes me in a race for the first time will be one of the proudest moments of my life.
ReplyDeleteBecause I'm sure not going to roll over and make it easy for them. :-)
Have a great weekend.
Great to see that the person we see in the DVD's is the same person at home. Way to be genuine in this world that moves by falsetto.
ReplyDeleteTroy,
ReplyDeletecool blog, i like it.
about kids, exercise, and obesity, there are few things that we as a society are selectively choosing to overlook. unfortunately, i really hate to admit this (as a lifelong endurance athlete, and as a father), but exercise is actually not the real solution to this huge problem.
there's something else going on, and the emphasis on exercise (while good and noble) is being used as a smokescreen. if you want to get an idea of what i'm referring to, just check out the documentary, "Killer at Large: Why Obesity is America's Greatest Threat" (available on netflix as instant watch, or dvd).
because no matter what we think we know about obesity in america, there is always more to the story. i assure you, the film will knock your socks off.
keep up the good fight,
Greg
LTF Endurance Triathlon Coach
http://www.lifetimeendurance.com/public/258.cfm