Welcome to a new category of my blog simply called ‘Healthy Tips.’ Many times, when I write articles for various publications, I need to find sources for the story. Recently, I wrote an article for Yahoo Shine (click here) and PBS (click here) about keeping kids healthy. I was looking for experts and parents to chime in and give their favorite ‘tips’ to help kids (and their families) lead a healthy lifestyle.

The feedback for the story was amazing. The sources had some fantastic points of view that could not be ignored, and I thought their opinions should be viewed on the Your Health Journal web site.

So, enjoy my new series, with some ‘great’ insight from some ‘great’ people giving exceptional and educational points of view.

“When I speak and consult with people about health and fitness, many people look at their family obligations as an obstacle to exercise instead of an opportunity.”

“One of the main problems is that people associate exercise with a gym or equipment. I tell people to think outside the barbell. Fitness isn’t about sweat, six-packs, and sex appeal. It’s about having enough energy to do your activities of daily living safely and effectively.”

“Football players don’t train like baseball players, and hockey players don’t train like basketball players; neither should we. As parents, we should be doing activities that help us perform our jobs as parents and providers for our family.”

“It’s a shame that some people sacrifice family time by going to the gym and dropping their kids off in day care.”

“Instead of going to the gym, we should be going to the park as a family. Instead of waking on treadmills, we should be taking our kids to a track or hiking. Biking as a family is a much better option than a stationary bike. Instead of thinking of it as exercise, our goal should be to be physically active, running, chasing, climbing, wrestling and other playful activities that allow us to spend time together.”

– Marc Tinsley, DC, Fitness for the Rest of Us