Instilling Healthy Habits in Kids

*I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Boys & Girls Club of America. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation*

If you took a walk through my kitchen and opened my fridge and all of my cabinets, you would see that I have a kitchen full of healthy food for my kids to choose from. It’s important to me to make sure I always have a wide variety of fruits and vegetables for them to choose from because I want them to get into the habit of reaching for a healthy snack when they are hungry. These habits they form as a child will continue on into adulthood. The Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Triple Play program encourages people to continue shaping their children’s future with good healthy food choices, as well as to get out and about with their family.

Exercise is an important part of our life. When I was a kid, I was on the swim team and working out 6 days a week. I loved it and I think that, not only did it keep me healthy and in shape, it also helped me focus better in school. The same holds true for my kids. My daughter plays soccer and is at the level now where they are expected to be running on the days that they do not have practice. We try to do it every day, but it doesn’t always work out. However, more times than not, she is actively running and keeping in shape for soccer. My son plays lacrosse and is also in middle school where he has 1 hour of gym every single day. Not only does recreational sports and school gym class have a very positive impact on instilling healthy habits in kids, but from a social standpoint, it does a lot of good for our soul too.

What is the BGCA Triple Play Program?

The Triple Play program is the signature healthy lifestyle program for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The Triple Play program works on three key areas:

• Mind: develop a knowledge base to acquire healthy habits, such as making smart food choices, understanding appropriate portion sizes, and creating fun and healthy meals.
• Body: becoming more physically active through daily fitness and fun, including activities to get kids active and moving. 
• Soul: strengthening character and reinforcing positive behavior with activities designed to improve confidence and develop interpersonal skills.

I think a program like this is so important. With close to 3 out of 10 kids in America either overweight or obese, it is critical to get these kids engaged in activities to have a much healthier future.

Did You Know…

• Kids and teens should participate in physical activity for at least 60 minutes per day? Only about 1/4 of kids today are meeting that recommendation.

This is just one reason why I like that my son has the opportunity, outside of his lacrosse, to have gym class every single day for a full semester in middle school. Judging by what he comes home smelling like some days, they are engaging in moderate to vigorous activity each day!

• The Triple Play program launched in 2005 and since then they have made nearly 10 million connections with kids to share the importance of engaging in physical activity and making healthy nutritional choices!
• Because of partners like The Coca-Cola Company and Anthem Foundation for the Triple Play program, the Triple Play program will be able to build the next generation of leaders and motivate kids to be healthy and build a lifelong commitment to fitness!

How Can YOU Instill Healthy Habits in Your Kids?

My kids get their exercise from being apart of various sports teams, but being apart of a team like that is not for everyone. Check out the different classes offered either by your school system or local rec department. We have a kids kickboxing class that I am dying to sign my daughter up for. I just know that she would love it and it’s AMAZING in the physical activity department! Or take nightly walks together after dinner! We are lucky in that we have a nature trail that opens up in our sub. The kids LOVE to walk on the trails and we could literally be out their for hours! It doesn’t matter what you do to get active…just do something!

What are some of your tips for instilling healthy habits in kids?

For more information about the BGCA Triple Play program, visit them on Facebook and Twitter.