Attention Parents: Are You an Exercise Role Model?

Thirty years ago, overweight children stood out in the classroom. It just wasn’t common for kids to be significantly overweight or obese.

Things are different today.

Obesity is a national epidemic.

But parents can do something.

They can be exercise role models.

A small study of 83 families found that when mothers walked an additional 2,000 steps per day, their children took an average of 2,117 additional steps, compared to 1,175 additional steps when mothers did not reach their goal. Researchers from National Jewish Health also found that fathers increasing their steps had a similar effect on their kids.

The study was published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health.

“It has long been known that parent and child activity levels are correlated,” said Kristen Holm, assistant professor of medicine at National Jewish Health. “This is the first intervention-based study to prospectively demonstrate that when parents increase their activity, children increase their as well. The effect was more pronounced on weekends.”

Want to know the best part of this research? You get to spend more time with your children.

Alice Warchol is a freelance health blog writer.

+ Learn about Losing Weight with the Bon Secours In Motion Youth Fitness Program

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