myerstownherald.com

By SARA HAUFF DORAN
If you are not in shape right now or you don’t exercise regularly, you can blame your parents. That’s right, yet another thing to point the finger to your upbringing.
My parents continue to make exercising a priority. And not surprisingly, they are both at a healthy weight. When I was younger, both of my parents played tennis throughout the year and skied in the winters. We have fond family memories of our annual ski trips. Now in their 70s, they’ve changed their exercise regime to going to a physical trainer and walking regularly.
There was not a specific moment when my parents told me that exercise is important, but they didn’t have to. Just by their example of keeping fit, they spoke volumes.
The way to stay fit and healthy is to start at a young age. With my parents’ encouragement, I played tennis, swam in the summers, took dance lessons, and later was a cheerleader, and ran track and field in high school. Running is something I still do now regularly — competing in 5Ks.
Yes, it kept me very busy which is another reason for young people to try out different sports. Sports can keep children out of trouble, away from other less productive activities. Also, it teaches them discipline, people skills (winning and losing graciously) and starts them on the right path to staying fit for life.
Parents should allow their children to try out different sports to find ones that they enjoy or excel at. It’s harder for adults to try new things whereas children are usually more open to new experiences and more accepting of failure. It’s easier to falter while trying a new sport when most of the others are new to the sport too.
Children should also be expected to follow through with a new sport. Quitting midway through should not be an option unless medically necessary. Too often children are given an easy way out by their well-meaning parents.
You really are giving your children the best start possible by pointing them in the direction of a sport. Once your children are older and out of your house, it’s up to them to continue on the path you’ve set for them. But at least you’ll know as parents that you have done your best to make their future a fit one.