Golfers, you all know by now how I enjoy discussing the importance of physical fitness and regular exercise. As a father of a 2 yr. old, I find myself looking to a day when I will want to instill that sense of enjoyment of activity in my own daughter (actually, she’s already good at swinging a plastic golf club - she throws one heck of a good fastball, too!)

I want my child to learn that the lifelong lessons that can be obtained by becoming and staying physically active (with friends, being a member of a sports team, setting personal fitness goals, etc.) can give her a valuable sense of accomplishment and self-worth that can last throughout her lifetime!

As adults, one of the best ways we can communicate the message of physical fitness our children is by setting the example ourselves and becoming actively involved with our child as he/she becomes excited about a particular sport or activity. For example, perhaps your son or daughter has been watching soccer on television and wants to share in the fun, challenge, and camaraderie that the players on TV demonstrate (watching soccer star Mia Hamm score a goal with a flying side kick can inspire just about anybody - especially an impressionable child). Get excited right along with your child! They will feed off your enthusiasm or, on the other hand, your lack thereof.

Making the time in our daily lives for some type of regular exercise will benefit us and our children, both physically and mentally. Here are 10 important benefits of regular exercise to consider:
1) Reduced risk of heart disease
2) Improved blood cholesterol levels
3) Prevention of high blood pressure
4) Boosted energy levels
5) Reduced stress and tension
6) Improved sleep patterns
7) Better self-image
8) Increased muscle strength, giving greater capacity for other physical activities
9) Provides a way to share an activity with family and friends
10) Establishes good, healthy habits in children and counters the conditions that lead to heart attack and stroke later in life (obesity, high blood pressure, poor cholesterol levels, poor lifestyle habits, etc.)

Sharing in the enthusiasm a child displays is the key to speaking their language of FUN! As their enjoyment is continually sustained, the principles of regular exercise, practice, and physical preparation can then be gradually incorporated and repeatedly instilled into the child. As adults, we must provide a vehicle that offers our children a chance to learn such important habits as teamwork, goal-setting, determination, and hard work. By participating in a regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy level of exercise, these lessons can be learned by a child with a relatively small amount of effort. On the other hand, children who are not encouraged to become physically active miss out on these many benefits.

As adults, we have the incredible responsibility to set an example for the next generation to come. Becoming active ourselves and paying attention to our children’s habits is paramount to teaching our kids about the values and attributes behind becoming physically active. Here are some simple tips:

1) Try to limit your child’s time spent watching television, movies, videos, and computer games to less than two hours a day. Substituting the rest of leisure time with physical activity will provide lasting benefits to a child. For example, plan family outings and vacations that involve vigorous activities such as hiking, bicycling, skiing, swimming, tennis, etc. or give a child some household chores that tend to require more physical exertion (keeping in mind their levels of strength, coordination, and maturity). Mowing lawns, raking leaves, scrubbing floors and taking out the garbage not only teaches a child responsibility but can provide a good source of exercise.

2) Stay involved in your child's physical education classes at school. At daycare, make sure the kids exercise at least 20 minutes a day. Ask about frequency of classes and activity, class size, curriculum (instruction in lifetime fitness activities as well as team sports should be emphasized), physical fitness assessments, qualifications of the teacher (should hold appropriate certification in physical education and be an appropriate role model for students). Physical fitness should be measured at the beginning and end of each year, and goals should be established for each child.

3) Observe what sports and activities appeal to your children, then find out about lessons and clubs. While some kids love team sports, others thrive on individual activities. Some kids tend to attempt the more complicated and involved athletic activities, while others derive pleasure from the relatively simpler sports. Whatever you and your child take the time to participate in, try to gradually incorporate the benefits of physical fitness into their daily life.

4) Choose fitness-oriented gifts -- a jump rope, mini-trampoline, tennis racket, baseball bat, a youth membership at the local YMCA or YWCA. Select the gift with your child's skills and interests in mind.

5) If it is safe to walk or bike rather than drive, do so. Use stairs instead of elevators and escalators. Increase the distances you and your children walk

6) Spring your infant from mechanical restraints as much as possible. Strollers and playpens are high on convenience but low on activity potential. Try to unleash your diapered dynamo whenever and wherever he can safely move around.

7) When your children are bored, suggest something that gets them moving -- like playing catch or doing some work out in the yard.

8) Discourage homework immediately after school to allow children to find some diversion from the structure of the school day. Children should be active after school and before dinner.

In conclusion, remember it is better to start teaching our kids at a younger age than it to wait until health problems or other negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle become serious as they grow and mature. Let’s take the time NOW to teach our kids about the benefits of staying fit --- and watch them accomplish ANYTHING!!

Copyright 1999 Don Tinder Enterprises

Don Tinder is an internationally published author of "The Fitness for Golfers Handbook—Taking Your Golf Game to the Next Level." This book is available by calling 1-888-298-4122 or visiting the amazon.com. For information on fitness seminars and/or fitness training sessions, call Don Tinder at (407) 359-9053.

(August 1, 1999)©