Anyone who has kids would probably agree that parenting is anything but passive and this relates to every area of life, learning and development. It’s also important to be proactive rather than overly reactive, and in the quest for a fit and healthy child, it’s the adults who need to take the lead. So are you succeeding when it comes to knowing how to teach your kids to be fit?

In Part 1 we looked at ways in which significant adults can enable children to have the right tools for a fit lifestyle as they grow. These included teaching children about the body; encouraging youngsters to express their emotions; enabling young people to have greater autonomy and responsibility; promoting an interest in sports; and helping establish the benefits of a healthy diet. If you’re looking for further inspiration to teach kids to be fit, then read on:

Personal best: Children who put themselves under pressure or feel too much part of a competitive environment may end up giving up on achieving fitness before they even start. However, encouraging kids to better themselves may make them want to achieve their own personal best. This sense of individual ambition can lead them to wanting to fulfil healthy goals and pursuits.

Show interest: Letting kids know that you’re interested in their activities can really make a difference to youngsters, in terms of them not only sharing their tales but continuing to be involved. While this is hardly a revelation to most parents, it is easy for grown-ups to sometimes miss the beginnings of an interest in youngsters and so showing an interest is really about actively finding out and supporting what activities your children are interested in.

Focused activities: As a kid you really cannot beat just running around and letting your imagination run wild. Creative, active play is beneficial. Parents might be glad that little ones, or teens for that matter, aren’t spending too much time indoors in front of a digital screen. However, focused activities can channel concentration and provide useful structure that keeps involvement and interest going for longer.

Talk about health: Do you remember when you were a kid and you really didn’t think too much about the relationship between yourself, how you lived your life and your health. It’s natural not to dwell on health concerns as a youngster. However, children are naturally inquisitive about the world around them and ultimately themselves. Relating health to fitness can be part of a holistic approach to educating a child about the body and how it works, and in understanding physical strengths and weaknesses.

Group activities: Children are, of course, naturally sociable and so any activities that involve their friends or other peers is a great way to make them more active and to teach them about team work too. Sometimes all it takes is for an adult to stroll outdoors and start a game of hoops or throw a ball around with their kids to get a game started that will carry on long after the grown up has gone indoors.

What about a fitness center that is kid-friendly and runs activities for children too? There are so many ways for you to learn how to teach your kids to be fit. Start by getting into a fitness regime yourself.