By Steve Barker

With all the issues associated with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle, it’s incredibly important to stay healthy yourself and help your children learn how to make wise choices. For most people (without unique circumstances involving chronic health issues), the two biggest contributors to health are nutrition and exercise. It’s tempting to only focus on one of these things, but the fact is that you need both a nutritious diet and an active lifestyle to stay fit and keep your body healthy.

As important as it is for every person to eat well and stay active, it can be even more important to teach children how to make proper choices regarding food and exercise. It can be difficult for children, with all the junk food available and a school schedule that has little time for recess, to eat properly and get enough exercise. However, if you can teach your children how to balance nutrition and exercise into a daily routine, you can give them the tools to live a long and healthy life.

Why Exercise Is Necessary

There are numerous benefits to regular exercise including many physical results from a regular exercise regimen. Your body will burn more calories, which could lead to weight loss or help the body maintain a healthy weight. Increased muscle mass also improves the metabolism and helps every part of the body function properly. Many diseases are far less common to people who exercise and the effects of aging are usually reduced or slowed as well. The body is a complex machine, and regular exercise helps keep all the parts working well individually and together.

Exercise not only helps condition your physical body, it also contributes to a healthy mental and emotional state. Exercise releases endorphins that make you feel happy. Many people who exercise regularly also report a calmer emotional state. Additionally, regular exercise can improve your physical appearance, leading to more self-confidence. Concentrating on your body’s physical state can help you be more aware of your personal goals and find ways to achieve them.

How to Encourage Kids to Exercise

Many children get enough physical exercise when they are young simply by playing actively. However, as children get older, they often spend more time sitting at school and leading a sedentary lifestyle at home. Physical education classes are important, and you can also encourage exercise by enrolling children in sports they enjoy. There are numerous types of exercise, so if your children aren’t interested in weightlifting or soccer, you could encourage them to try yoga, swimming or hiking.

Why Proper Nutrition Is Necessary

Getting the proper nutrition is just as important as maintaining a regular exercise schedule. A balanced diet helps every part of the body function well and is especially important for growing children so they can develop and mature properly. A poor diet can be a major contributing factor to heart disease, diabetes and some kinds of cancer. However, when your body gets the right amount of nutrition, you feel better, have more energy, sleep well and have mental clarity. A proper diet also helps maintain a healthy weight and gives your body the energy to perform all your daily tasks.

Helping Kids Make Good Food Choices

It can be a challenge to help children develop healthy eating habits, especially when they are picky and dislike many healthy foods. However, it’s worth the work to teach your kids the importance of a nutritious diet and help them understand which foods are healthy. Thankfully, there are more healthy products on the market than ever before. Hampton Creek is one company dedicated to making nutritious, affordable food products in a sustainable way. As more people choose the healthier options at the grocery store, the rest of the food production system will respond and provide more choices.

Personal health involves both exercise and a nutritious diet. It’s extremely important for everyone to make healthy choices in life, and to teach children how to make those choices as well. Kids should learn how important exercise is to physical, mental and emotional health, and why the body requires a nutritious balanced diet. It’s just as vital to then teach children the specific keys to maintaining an active lifestyle and sticking to a healthy diet. Encouraging the next generation to make good choices can lower the rates of disease and help every person live a long and happy life.