When trying to get our lives and health together as adults, we sometimes forget to instill these habits in our kids. Equally as important is to do it at a young age, so they grow up already incorporating healthy habits into their lifestyle as adults. When we show our kids what to do rather than constantly telling them, it has a more significant impact on instilling those values and habits. 

For World Health Day, I wanted to raise awareness of total health (mind, body, and soul) and how to instill these techniques into our kids. Being active and eating healthy are not only essential routines to implement in our adult lives today but also teaching kids, at the same time, about these crucial habits so they can continue to implement them in the future. 

Continue reading for tips on including our kids on our health journey…

• Be Active with your kids – Do you live an active lifestyle? Do your kids? When you get your workouts in during the week, think about your kids. Be honest, how much exercise are they “really” getting in PE? Do they participate in extracurricular sports, or are they playing video games most of the day? Kids need just as much daily exercise as adults. Things like going for family walks together after dinner or inviting them to do one of your fitness classes help strengthen your bond and show them how to live a healthy lifestyle.
• Eat Well as a family – When you start a new diet, do you still make your kids a separate “kid-friendly” food. Teaching our kids healthy eating habits now will help them avoid the yo-yo dieting we adults fall victim to as a quick fix.
• Meditate as a family – I’m sure you have heard “the family that prays together stays together.” That can also be true for meditation. Kids go through a lot just like adults do, and they need the tips we are learning to help them navigate through life. Meditation and mindfulness are excellent stress management techniques that work for kids. When I first started teaching my kids how to meditate, they didn’t take it seriously, but now knowing different breathing techniques has helped them deal with their anger positively. 
• Breathe Chile– Take baby steps to get your whole family on a healthier path. Look at the big picture and realize it will take time to incorporate them as routine.

Everything I discuss here is something I have used to help me. Breathe Chile is a movement to help the world through mindfulness, physical fitness, and positive motivation. I hope you will join me on the journey!