Fit Home Team: The Posada Family Guide to Health, Exercise, and Nutrition the Inexpensive and Simple Way - Hardcover

Getting Organized

A Call to Rise

Mission: Optimal Group Wellness

If you are a mother or a father, we invite you to -- no, we insist that you -- redefine exactly what that means, starting right now. We invite you to look in the mirror, and in that reflection, see beyond your outdated, preconceived, and preconditioned sense of what it means to be a parent. Instead, we dare you to see a teacher. See a coach. See a chef. See a nutritionist. See a hype man. See a buddy. See an instigator. See a motivator. See a confidante; a mentor; a champion; a challenger. See a partner. See a role model. See a fighter. See a winner. See and feel all of these new dimensions as part of your newly revamped role as a mother or a father. Give yourself the eye of the tiger, and commit to a serious-business, you-mean-it paradigm shift in your household, all fueled by the desire to make your family healthier and happier. As parents, we are at the helm of some very special entities -- our precious families -- and, as the designated adults in the mix, it is our job not only to take care of our children and provide the basics that we already know about, like food and shelter, but also to feed them tirelessly with wisdom and love. But let's leave all the sweet stuff aside for a second and get down to business.

We believe that in order to start something, you have to be willing to ignite something, which is exactly how we suggest you begin. Sometimes it takes a little passion and creativity to make a point. For example: make it a point to call an allimportant family meeting, with a serious look in your eye but a playful smirk on your face, a vibe that signals to your kids that something interesting and fun is about to happen. Take it seriously by showing up with a clipboard and a whistle. Play the part of team leader with real gusto, and zone them in -- wake everybody up, shake them from their laze and haze, because from this moment forward, through this call to rise, you declare to the members of your family that happiness will be defined in the context of group wellness and health.

Explain to your children, with a tone and attitude that you know will engage their interest and curiosity, about the fundamental merits of true wellness, and what it could mean to live an exceptionally strong life of excellent health. Make it clear to everyone that this is the dawn of a new era for the family, one based on fortitude and wisdom -- as individuals and, what's more important, as a family. Get everyone excited about the prospect of partaking in thrilling activities and games, interesting new foods and recipes, day trips and seasonal excursions.

Tell them that changes are coming, the kind that will make their lives immeasurably better and endlessly more fun. Obviously, kids will have a hard time understanding the importance of longevity and wellness, given their inborn sense of invincibility -- so remember to keep it fun, playful, and in the spirit of good times a???comin'.

Growing up, we did not live in the technologically developed game-playing society that our children inhabit today, each with their own laptop, PDA, Game Boy, and all other varieties of simulated recreation; we did not have virtual video games, cell phones, pagers, or computers that could download whatever our little hearts desired at the drop of a hat. All we had were our God-given imaginations, which is exactly what we were forced to tap into if we wanted to have a good time. And we had a great time. It was the old-school classics, like tag, hide-and-seek, monkey in the middle, and tug-of-war that, despite being basic and stripped-down, engaged our spirits and kept our little bodies strong. Most significantly, these were the very games that created some of our fondest childhood memories.

Maybe tell your family a bit about the tragedy of the obesity epidemic in the United States, and how unfortunate the whole thing is, considering that being healthy can actually be fun. Explain to them that a healthy body equals a healthy mind, and convince them that it is possible to have both and at the same time entertain quality family time. Make it known to them that moving forward, the family, as a group, will commit to making these key changes toward health and wellness. The changes will mostly affect food and fitness, but above everything they should reflect a profound change of your collective attitude -- one that promotes strength, love, health, and joy. Start to make healthy the operative word when making decisions about food or fun, and get everyone excited about the prospect of making a "healthy choice" as often as possible. Perhaps even tell them that the person who wins in the end is the one who made the most healthy choices. Lure them in to this concept and have fun with it. Explain to your family that this meeting marks the start of your very own Fit Home Team Challenge -- and get everyone revved up about the pleasure and games that are about to begin. Get your spouse involved. Do anything you have to do, but do whatever it takes to ignite something.

Congratulations. You have gotten everyone excited, the mojos are rising, people are happy, and the momentum is yours. Time to lay down some ground rules. These rules, as you will explain, will serve as the basic code of behavior (and even attitude) that everyone will agree to honor. This has to be emphasized, so do whatever you have to do to make it clear. Insist that everyone (yourselves included) promise to keep all of these rules as often as possible. Write up a contract. Make it official. Make it matter. And most important, make it FUN.

The S (As In Success!) List

Safety

Safety first. It's a cliché because it's true. Safety does come first, and that is exactly why we're starting here. For every activity, every game, every sport, everything that we discuss in this book, safety should always be the number-one measure that we check against and the first thing we think about before we do anything. Safety includes the obvious, like having the proper gear and equipment for activities such as soccer and in???line skating, and sunscreen at the beach; as well as other, less obvious, practices, such as knowing some first aid. You might suggest that the family take a CPR class to pick up some basics. Instill in your kids the concept that any sense of fun has to begin by respecting safety, and make them promise that they will always aim to be conscious of it. That said, as the adult(s) in charge, you too should familiarize yourself with any relevant safety measures that correspond to games or activities that you will lead the family in.

Sunshine

Rule number two: When the sun is out, we should be too. Say good-bye to lazy afternoons in front of the television or playing video games on a perfectly crisp and gorgeous blue day. The sun should be your reason to be outside, and your family should make it its mission to live in its warmth as often as possible. Granted, sunscreen is always a must, and one quick internet search on the dangers on sunburns should answer any questions you may have about this, but assuming you are diligent in your sunscreen application (for your kids and yourselves!), you should relish in the positivity (and vitamin D) that come directly from the rays of the sun.

Sleep

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, happy, and wise. We believe it, and we try to keep to that schedule as often as possible. Granted, we're not tyrants about it, and there are plenty of weekends when we all stay up late watching movies, laughing, and having a grand old time. However, as a basic premise, we like to teach our kids that sleep, like nutrition and exercise, is one of the best-kept little secrets for optimal health. Proper sleep leads to energized days, allowing the body to rest, recover, and rev itself up for what is to come.

Stretching

This one falls under the golden rule of safety and therefore is a necessity every single time anyone in the family is going to partake in any physical activity, whether as a group or on their own. The beauty of stretching is that anyone can do it, at any age, and it is always healthy and advisable. Getting your children in the habit of stretching when they engage in physical activity not only helps increase range of motion but also warms the muscles up for the work ahead, stimulating better circulation, which in turn leads to better coordination. Postexercise stretching also helps to decrease muscle soreness and ensure that the muscles and tendons work well. The more conditioned the muscles and tendons are, the better they can handle the rigors of sport and exercise, and the less likely that they'll become injured. So why not start them young? (See page 125 in the fitness section for suggestions on good stretches for kids.)

Sharing

This is another biggie, especially when you are dealing with younger children who are still in the throes of ethical development or siblings who like to have a go at one another when it comes to "their stuff." All very normal, we know. But since we are going to be working with all kinds of sporting equipment and other activity props, it is crucial to state right from the start that sharing is the only way things are going to run smoothly. Make it part of the "groupthink" ideology, and establish right up front that sharing should and will underscore any activity that requires "things." Make it a "what's-mine-is-yours" atmosphere, and ensure that the little ones especially understand the importance of this rule.

Storing

Teaching your children about order and tidiness isn't just for your Fit Home Team Challenge -- it will be something invaluable that hopefully they will carry on for the rest of their lives. Storing, putting things away, organizing, cleaning up -- these are all activities where everyone can chip in, be it in the backyard, the kitchen, their bedrooms, or the den. Make the cleanup all part of the challenge, and make everyone accountable for somet...