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Charlotte's Tip of the Week

Dance!  Even when the weather is bad you can still keep the kids active indoors.  Encorage them to create a dance routine to their favourite music and perform it in front of the family.  March, box step, spin or shake it..it's a great way for them to burn calories! 

Charlotte's A-Z for Fitter Families!

A Accelerate!  One of the easiest ways to keep your heart healthy is to up the pace!  Walk briskly with your shoulders back and head up, it'll work wonders for your posture too!

B Break time!  Give the kids healthy snacks to take to school with them rather than crisps and sweets.  Spreading calories over the day rather than confining them to three large meals has been proven to increase metabolism, so send the kids to school with fruit and unsalted nuts and seeds to snack on.

C Catch!  Keep a frisbee or ball in the back of the car so that if you get time to stop off at the park with the kids you're always ready for a game!

D  Diet.  Avoid dieting but instead aim for a consistent, clean diet that you can stick to all the time.  It will set the kids a great example and encourage them them to have a healthy relationship with food.

E Explore!  Take the family exploring at the weekend and see what you can dicover in your local area.  Don't forget your map!

F Five-a-day.  Fruit and veg are important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, they're packed full of vitamins and minerals and and there is more than enough choice to keep even the fussiest eaters happy!

G Get moving!  An hour of exercise a day makes bones and muscles stronger, increases flexibility, helps you relax and is a great way to have fun with friends!  Go for a bike ride, try skate-boarding or even join a martial arts class!

H Healthy lunchboxes.  Beat the lunchbox boredom by investing in a funky new lunchbox and get the kids to add stickers and notes to it.  You can also avoid repetitive foods that kids can get fed up with; share your ideas of healthy food recommendations with other parents to keep things interesting for your kids.

I Ice cold.  On the few occasions that we get snow, don't stay indoors, wrap up warm and get outside to make a snowman or go sledging!

J If the sun isn't shining try going to an indoor play area so that the kids can play on the inflatable castles, ball pools and trampolines. It's great fun and will get their heart rates up - all good for fitness!

K  Kick about.  Head outside for a game of footy!  Why not get your neighbours involved for a game of 5 a side, parents vs kids?!

L Learn something new.  Why not spend a weekend learning something new as a family?  For example find your local rock climbing wall, or book yourselves some skiing lessons at your local dry skiing centre!

M Meal times.  Try and sit down as a whole family for meal times at least 3 times a week.  In today's hectic lifestyle, mealtimes are often forsaken for more hours at the office but studies have shown that that more time spent as a family at the dinner table improves child behaviour and sleeping patterns.  Kids also copy what they see, so if their parents are enjoying a healthy, balanced mealthey are more likely to follow suit and be open to trying new things.

N Nasty E numbers.  E numbers are codes for food additives in the EU.  They add sweetness and colour, enhance flavours and give products a longer shelf life.  They've been linked to children's hyperactivity, skin conditions, insomnia and breathing difficulties.  To ensure your kids arn't getting too many, check food labels before you buy!

O Obstacle course!  Using objects from the house or garden create a fun family obstacle course!  You can even create a chart and time each other!  This is a great activity for indoors on a rainy day or out in the garden on a hot summer weekend!

P Playing.  Spend time playing as a family.  Get out an old board game, play with the family pet, or go out in the garden and do something as simple as throwing or kicking a ball around.

Q Quit!  Quit using escalators and lifts.  Take the stairs instead!

R Recipes.  Get the whole family involved in cooking and thinking up new recipes.  Doing this from an early age gets kids interested in all different types of food and helps maintain a healthy attitude to food and eating.

S Sugar.  Try and limit children' sugar intake.  A high sugar diet has been linked to childhood obesity, behavioural problems, tooth decay and health problems such as diabetes and athsma.  

T Team sports.  Believe it or not this is a fun thing to do as a family!  Encourage kids to play some sort of team sport whether it be football, rugby, netball or hockey; mums and dads can get involved too, why not help coach a team?

U Up on your feet.  Turn off the TV, even if it's just during the dvert break, get off the sofa and do something active.  Go for a walk, play tag or put some music on and make up a dance routine to your favourite song!

V Variety.  Kids get bored easily so don't just stick to the same activites or food.  Try new meals and sports - it's more fun as a family!

W Walk.  Leave the car at home and walk to your local supermarket, and encourage the kids to walk to school.  We all know cars an essential part of family life but choosing to walk instead of driving somewhere can improve your health, your bank balance and the environment!

X Xtra Curricular Activites.  Encourage the kids to take part in at least one after school club.  They're a great way to make new friends, socialise, raise self esteem and helps keep them active!

Y Yoghurt.  Replace sugary puddings with low fat yoghurts topped with yummy, colourful fresh fruit.

Z Zzzzz.  Sleep is as important for a child's development as exercise and nutrition.  It helps the body grow and heal, and also affects behaviour and kids' ability to concentrate and learn, so try to establish a regular bedtime schedule and routine.