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Get parents and kids exercising together.

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Four years ago, the Ohio County Family Resource Network started a “Moms on the Move” program with a small grant from West Virginia on the Move. “We started it because we were seeing a lot of moms who weren’t getting out and seeing anybody or exercising, because they had small kids at home,” FRN director Claudia Raymer said.  “We thought, why don’t we introduce them and get some walking-with-kids groups going, with pedometers and social sessions?”

“Little mom groups formed all over the county,” she said. “The grant money ran out, but some groups are still walking because it’s really something they want to do, and it’s something they needed.”

Beyond the mom groups, studies show that when parents and kids exercise together, the kids are much more likely to be active and enjoy exercising later. Physical activities can be a great bonding activities and great times to talk, many parents find.

 

If you’d like to help create opportunities for parents and kids to exercise together:

 

  • Pull together people from agencies and churches to brainstorm: Create a family volleyball or Frisbee league. Have a family jump rope competition. If you have a healthy lifestyle coalition, it’s a lot easier to have this conversation on an ongoing basis.
  • Try the Meetup West site to start your own Parents and Kids exercise groups: http://help.meetup.com/customer/portal/topics/438605-getting-started/articles
  • Healthy Kids Hub.  This is a terrific collection of activities, information and material sources for afterschool programs. A project of Healthy Kids Out of School, sponsored by a wide variety of organizations dedicated to checking child obesity. Check it out! Watch the video to get started. www.healthykidshub.org
  • National groups can help:

 

Have something to add? Write it in “comments” below, with your contact info.

 

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