Many adults have a good knowledge about fitness for themselves, but when it comes to their own kids they don’t make the grade. This week I’ll take a look at some fitness tips for kids, finishing today with tips to build healthy habits for grade-schoolers.

Many of the behaviors and habits we learn a skids carry on into our adult years. That makes it extra important that youth are taught to do things the right way.
When it comes to healthy fitness habits, get kids started in the right direction when they’re in grade school.
Here are five healthy tips for grade-schoolers:
Fuel up with a good breakfast every day – Get your kid in the habit of always eating a good, healthy breakfast each day. Breakfast fills your tank after a long night without eating. Studies have shown a healthy breakfast can help you do better in school. Fast and easy to make breakfast such as oatmeal, cereal, fruit, whole-wheat toast or yogurt are winning combinations.
Stay active – Kids are encouraged to get 60 minutes or more of activity per day. Walk, bike or jog to school or see friends. Take an activity break every hour in between doing homework or watching TV to help get enough exercise.
Eat healthy snacks – Refuel during the day with healthy snacks such as
low-fat milk, an apple or banana, carrot or celery sticks.
Play hard – Some vigorous activity is great for kids. Work up a sweat and get the heart rate going playing dodge ball or kick ball, baseball or touch football.
Introduce strength training – As mentioned in Wednesday’s blog, it’s Ok for kids to do some strength training such as pushups and sit-ups.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com

Many adults have a good knowledge about fitness for themselves, but when it comes to their own kids they don’t make the grade. This week I’ll take a look at some fitness tips for kids, continuing today with the answer to one of the biggest questions about youth fitness: What age should kids start lifting weights?

So you not only want your child to be active, you want them to lift weights also. But what age should kids start pumping iron? And did you know there’s a difference between lifting weights and strength training?
Here are my thoughts on strength training and lifting weights for youths based on my own personal experiences and numerous discussions with trainers, coaches and doctors:
* Basic strength training is done without weights. Exercises such as pushups, sit-ups, dips, and other movements with light resistance exercises such as using strength bands or power tubes can be done by youngsters in grade school and it’s actually recommended.
* A grade-schooler who builds their muscles using strength training can look and feel better, increase their strength and endurance, protect their muscles and joints from injuries and even improve their mood. It should help them sleep better, too.
* It will also improve their performance in sports, but even if they’re not on a team a good physical fitness regimen is highly beneficial. It can help them start on a life’s path to being physically fit.
* Light machine weights can be used or dumbbells 10 pounds or lighter once kids are around 9-12 years old, but it’s recommended to do 20 reps or more for each exercise. The emphasis should be on endurance and flexibility rather than lifting as much weight as possible for youngsters.
* Most doctors say the onset of puberty, around age 12 or 13 for many kids, is the time when it’s OK to start weightlifting.
* When first hitting the weights, the complete focus should be on getting proper instruction, using proper techniques. Have an experienced spotter nearby.
* Start with very light weights and controlled motions to reduce risk for long-term injury.
If athletes start trying to lift too much weight before their bodies are properly developed, it can put too much strain on them. They shouldn’t compromise form to lift as much as their friend or older brother.
Many trainers and coaches I know start athletes into weightlifting programs in sixth or seventh grade, but as I stated above they’re careful to monitor technique and how much weight is used.
By the eighth grade step it up some more and once high school arrives, it’s full-go ahead for weightlifting.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com

Many adults have a good knowledge about fitness for themselves, but when it comes to their own kids they don’t make the grade. This week I’ll take a look at some fitness tips for kids, continuing today with tips to help your kids enjoy fitness from an early age.

Introduce active games at an early age – When kids are in preschool and grade school, get them involved in games or activities where the focus is on fun and they’re running, jumping, riding, kicking, etc., and developing skills that can be used in a variety of sports.
Wait to specialize – I think it’s best for kids to be exposed to many different sports, even if dad was a diehard baseball player, or mom was a college swimmer. Parents will likely expose their kids to sports they liked, but also should let them try other activities. It will help them see what they like to do and also build coordination and fitness by developing a wide variety of skills.
Practice sports at home — Make sure your child has at least some experience in a sport before signing them up for the local little league, whether it means to give them some lessons or invite a favorite aunt, uncle or friend over. Even a few times playing a sport in your own back yard will help them feel a little better before going to an organized practice.
Exercise as a family – If the parents are sitting around on the couch all weekend, there’s a better a chance the kids will lounge around, too. Instead, plan family activities that center around physical activity, like hiking or biking, or even traditions like going on after-dinner walks as a family
Focus on fun – Whatever physical activities your kids are doing, make sure the focus stays on having fun. Little League team sports can get serious in a hurry, but win or lose make sure your kids know it’s a game – and games are supposed to be fun.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com

Many adults have a good knowledge about fitness for themselves, but when it comes to their own kids they don’t make the grade. This week I’ll take a look at fitness tips for kids, starting with tips to get your kids moving more.

It may seem hard to believe for people in their 30s or older, who were kids before the Internet age really took off but, according to a recent study by the YMCA, more than half of America’s youth today do not get enough physical activity. The biggest reason for this is that parents are not making their kids’ health a priority
In the YMCA’s report, a survey of more than 1,600 parents with kids between the ages of 5-10, revealed that 58 percent of children spend less than four days a week playing outside because parents find it more convenient for them to spend time in front of a television or computer.
“There are many small things that make it very difficult for families to get an hour of physical activity a day,” said Dr. Matt Longjohn, the YMCA’s US Director of Chronic Disease Prevention. “Among the factors you could blame are technology, time and money.”
Parents need to make sure their kids get 60 minutes or more per day of exercise time. It doesn’t have to all come from playing sports or actives that cost money.
Simple tips that grown-ups should do themselves can help, such as take the stairs instead of an elevator, parents parking farther away from the store to get the kids to walk longer distances and, of course, more play time outside instead of sitting in front of the computer or TV.
America’s obesity rate among youth is at an all-time high and so is the diabetes rate among children. It is an absolute necessity that children get the proper amount of exercise, in addition to eating healthy, to stop this trend.
Some parents in the survey said the tough financial times caused them to cut back on activities they used to pay for their kids to be in.
However, the bottom line is parents should look for any chances for kids to be active instead of being involved in sedentary activities.
“It can be smaller opportunities, minutes that can add up to preventing a disease,” Dr. Longjohn added.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com

This week I’ll present simple tips to lose weight in my At Home Fitness blogs. Today, here’s a look at how some basic eating tips can help you lose weight.

It takes regular exercise AND a good diet to reach your optimum fitness level.
No matter how hard you work out, if you’re not putting much effort into your diet you’re not going to get as good of results.
Put the same effort into planning and preparing your meals as you do coming up with a workout program and performing it.
Here are some good meal tips to help you stay on a healthy fitness eating program:
What to eat for main meals
* Breakfast ideas – Egg whites, whole-wheat toast or English muffin, orange juice, fruit, whey protein, whole wheat waffle, turkey sausage.
* Lunch ideas: Hard-boiled egg, water-packed tuna, turkey breast, black beans, garden salad (use healthy dressing), mixed vegetables, chicken breast.
* Dinner ideas: 8 ounces main course for items like pork tenderloin, fish, steak; medium sized baked potato; vegetables like broccoli, green beans, black beans, zucchini, asparagus; salad (with healthy dressing).
What to eat for snacks
Snack ideas: Yogurt, fruit, string cheese, cup of edamame, walnuts, cottage cheese, peanut butter, whole-wheat crackers, hummus dip.
Diet guidelines
When planning a healthy diet, try to eat more meals that are smaller and spread throughout the day.
For instance, have breakfast, a morning snack, lunch, pre-workout snack, post-workout snack, dinner and a bedtime snack.
The snacks can be as simple as a scoop of whey protein and an apple before working out and another scoop of protein and a glass of milk after the workout.
For a 185-pound man, the goal should be to consume around 2,550 calories a day.
Some of the biggest ways to trim up your body are to avoid eating white pasta and bread and definitely cut soda from your diet.
And you should really cut out all sodas, just because it says diet doesn’t mean it’s better for you than regular soda. Diet soda still contains lots of sugar and artificial ingredients and can still add weight to your body. Some studies have found that people who drink diet soda are still more likely to gain weight and develop diabetes than those who don’t.
Choose whole grain pasta over white pasta as it will be lower in sugars and carbs.
For some people, following a healthy diet is harder than getting in regular workouts. Plan ahead and put a similar effort into shopping and cooking as you do pumping iron. It will make a world of difference.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com

This week I’ll present simple tips to lose weight in my At Home Fitness blogs. Today, here’s a look at how exercising on a treadmill and-or elliptical machine can help you lose weight.

If you want to burn calories quickly and efficiently, two of the best ways to do so are to exercise on a treadmill or elliptical machine.
Some people prefer one over the other, while others often use both.
They both help you increase your metabolism, which helps burn more calories and keep you trimmer.
Walking is great for your circulation, and boosts metabolism. Running also boost metabolism and suppresses your appetite as well. Combined with healthy eating, how much cardio activity you do and other factors like age and weight, you could lose 2-4 pounds a week after starting a walking program.
Although treadmills are the longtime dominant fitness machine for cardio exercises, elliptical machines have become increasingly popular.
Go to any fitness club or gym that has both machines and you’ll likely see people getting great workouts on both.
If you are trying to decide if a treadmill or elliptical machine is better for you, here are some things to consider.
* Elliptical trainers have an edge over treadmills in that they give you an upper body workout as well thanks to the handles you grab onto.
* Ellipticals keep you secured on the footpads so there is little or no impact on your feet, knees and joints as you perform the elliptical motion.
* Many people switch to ellipticals because it’s less harsh on the joints, especially older folks.
* If you like to run or walk, nothing beats a treadmill machine. It actually cushions you more than running outside, but there is still more wear and tear than using an elliptical.
* I feel a treadmill gives you more variation on your workouts because you can vastly change the speeds, incline or decline and easily get intervals in. Of course, you can do some of those same things on an elliptical, although you can’t get the feeling of speed of running at a high rate on a treadmill.
* Treadmills offer great versatility for anyone from a rehab patient to elite athlete trying to push themselves in high-impact running.
* Ellipticals can be good for someone looking to change up their workout or get more motivation as it’s a different type of movement than walking – something we’ve all done for as long as we can remember.
* On the flip side, some people quickly become bored of being locked into a set motion on an elliptical and do go back to walking.
* Older people or those looking for a new twist to their workout might like the elliptical better, but whatever direction you choose both pieces of equipment offer an excellent way to improve cardio health and tone muscles.
* As far as calories go, treadmills often tend to be pricier, but if you shop around you can find bargains for both. It al depends what you’re looking for and how sturdy a piece of equipment you want.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com

This week I’ll present simple tips to lose weight in my At Home Fitness blogs. Today, here’s a look at how adding the number of steps you take in a day can help you lose weight.

Fitness needs to be a lifestyle, not something you schedule into your life a few hours a week.
In one of the most interesting studies I’ve come across dealing with exercise, researchers at the University of South Carolina estimated that women who are active about 75 percent of the day – doing things like walking to the store, gardening, cooking -expend more energy than those who work out for an hour a day, but are inactive the rest of the time (ie: sit at a computer, or in front of the TV).
That may come as a bit of surprise to some, but it should tell us that we need to be as active as possible throughout the entire day.
Being fit is not something that should be scheduled in for an hour workout slot and then forgotten about the rest of the time.
If you do have a busy office job that keeps you in front of a desk, try to get up and walk on your break and stay moving more when you’re not on the clock.
Rather than setting a goal of exercising for an hour a few times a week, many experts say the focus should be on taking as many steps per day as you can.
The number 10,000 has been set as the optimum steps you should take each day. That’s the level at which people burn enough calories to reduce the risk of heart attack and obesity.
People living inactive lives take about 2,000 or fewer steps, while many people who consider themselves active, but are stuck behind a desk, may only take about 3,000-4,000.
Go to a fitness store and buy a pedometer to keep track of your steps.
Ideally, experts say to exercise and try to also take as many steps as you can while doing other activities during the day.
“Steps” can be converted to other activities, with the goal always being to keep moving – and reach those 10,000 steps.
We had a “steps” competition where I work recently in which a conversion chart was used to calculate steps. For instance, high impact aerobics had a conversion number of 203, so multiply 203 X the number of minutes you do the aerobics for a “steps” count.
Some other common conversion numbers to multiply X the number of minutes are: basketball game (230), bicycling stationary (203), running at 8 mph or 7:30 minute-mile pace outside or on a treadmill (391), weeding the garden (131), playing softball (145) and vigorous weightlifting (174).
Here are some more conversion numbers: elliptical trainer (203), golfing without a cart (131), golfing with a cart (101), hiking general (172), hiking with a 10-20 lb. load (217), light housework (72), heavy housework like mopping or scrubbing (108), jumping rope fast (348), jumping rope moderate (290), stair climbing vigorous (434), wash the car (87), yoga (72) and pilates (101).
So just to re-iterate, if you wash the car for 30 minutes, multiply it by 87 for your converted effort in steps, which is 2,610.
This should give you a better idea what’s involved with reaching 10,000 steps in a day.
Bottom line is good health and weight loss is a lot closer and easier than you might have thought. It can be reached one step at a time.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com

This week I’ll present simple tips to lose weight in my At Home Fitness blogs. Today, here’s a look at how just changing the way you eat can help you lose weight.

Did you know that there some simple changes in the way you eat that can help you lose weight?
Sometimes it’s not what you eat, but how you eat that’s packing on extra calories.
It takes the brain approximately 20 minutes to register “fullness,” so with that in mind try to slow down your eating. Here are five tips to do that:
1. Put your fork down between bites – One of the best ways to slow down the eating process is to put your utensils down between bites. OK maybe you won’t do it every bite, but think about this rule and at least every other bite put your fork down while you chew. If you’re dining with others, talk some between bites, too. Don’t be so anxious to shovel in the next bite.
2. Play relaxing music – This will actually help calm you down and encourage leisurely chewing. Stress-related chewing is not a good way to eat slowly.
3. Watch your portion size – While it is good to eat with others and can slow down your chewing, it can also backfire if you lose track of your portions. Make sure to keep track of your portion sizes.
4. Use a smaller knife – Believe it or not, this actually works. When it comes to spreading butter or cream cheese on a bagel of toast, if you use a smaller knife you’ll be more conscious of how much you put on your knife. And you’ll use less.
5. Chew more – This seems so simple, like a mom would tell a kid, but many people don’t take those few extra bites that are so crucial. If you chew your food a little longer you’ll actually enjoy it more by allowing the food’s aroma to register, while also taking another step to slow down the eating process. It will also improve digestion.

Just staying in shape or working out isn’t enough for some people – they want to really improve their strength.
Gaining strength can help a person perform daily tasks with more ease, do better in sports, feel more confident and, let’s face it, look better.
There are many different schools of thought on how to get stronger.
Here are my top 10 tips to gain strength:
1. Lift weights – Strength training with weights, whether it be free weights , kettle bells or on an exercise machine, is a great way to build strength.
2. Change it up – Instead of doing the same basic workout routine, vary the exercises, amount of weights and repetitions you do. Variety is the spice of life and also the way to a stronger body.
Perform heavier weightlifting sets some days to build raw strength and muscle and then on other days go to lighter weights and higher reps to counterbalance with muscle endurance. You’ll avoid hitting plateaus as often by creating muscle confusion.
3. Work the legs – Some people do lots of curls and bench presses, but don’t work the legs with the same effort. That’s a mistake. Make sure you put just as much energy into building leg strength as you do to working out your upper body.
Legs are the key to everything as your base and when worked out will help spark the entire body into growing.
4. Compound approach – Focus your time and energy on compound lifts – ones that incorporate multiple body parts in one exercise – rather than isolation movements. Examples of compound exercises are squats, dead lifts, clean-and-jerks and bench press.
5. Lift heavy weights – Lift heavy weights with low reps to get used to lifting more poundage. You’ll get stronger that way and increase the weight you can lift.
6. Use a weight belt – A weight belt will help provide better stability for your lower back when lifting heavier weights and help you do more.
7. Use lifting chalk – Improve your grip and get better sets, Plus, admit it, you’ll feel kinda cool using lifting chalk.
8. Breathe right – One of the biggest keys to heavy lifting is proper breathing techniques. Breathe in before the rep and then blow the weights away.
9. Get a workout partner – Find a reliable workout partner and watch your results take off. You should naturally push yourself at least a little more, a spotter will be there to help when you use bigger weights and you’ll be less likely to miss workouts knowing someone is counting on you to lift.
10. Take a break – One of the misnomers some workout novices believe is that hustle is always good in the workout room, just like on the football field or basketball court.
That’s not always true in the weight room. When you’re in the middle of a heavy set of squats or bench presses, there’s no way you should try to whip through the sets. It’s OK to take 3-4 minutes to rest and mentally prepare between “big sets.”
If you’re feeling burned out, it’s a good idea to skip a lifting day every once in a while to let the muscles rest. Don’t overtrain.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com