Next be sure you let them be active in planning and preparation of meals. Let them give their input. Take time to talk to them about foods you are making and they are eating. And please don’t tell me you don’t have time, make time or in all honesty why did you have children!

Yes, we want our children to be active and involved. However, one big caveat here is to limit number of activities your children get involved with. Too many children today join everything to please their parents and they are exhausted! So be realistic with their time just as you would be with yours. Be sure to emphasize to your child that they don’t have to be involved in everything. Emphasis that if they do too much they are going to make compromises in one or more activities and that isn’t fair to that particular group. Talk to them about down time. Be sure they know it is OK to relax. We need balance in our life and only way to be sure we do is to do everything in moderation and get that down time for ourselves. Relaxing restores our balance which is so very important for healthy living.

So let’s start today to show our children that Healthy Eating + Activity = Healthy Lifestyle!

Copyright 2005, DeFiore Enterprises

For your Glutes (i.e., butt), there are also many muscle toning exercises from which to choose. Add free weights and you can bet that your backside will be burning from progress you will be making. First off, a simple, non-equipped squat is one of best and most effective exercises for backside area. Depending on your strength, add 10-20 pound dumbbells and eventually your favorite pants will have a whole new fit. As a side note, one of my favorite behind builders is dead lift with dumbbells. While this move is more for your hamstrings, it definitely adds definition to your behind.

For some, this run of mill free stuff just doesn’t ‘do it’. If you are one of those who must invest money on contraptions to promote motivation, then let it be. Anything that motivates an individual to maintain a healthy lifestyle cannot be all bad. But, if you can get past notion that more money means more results, a pair of good running shoes, a small set of free weights and a floor mat will provide a well-rounded fitness routine that has proven effective time and again.