Love this! However, I don't believe that traditional "sports," such as baseball, basketball, soccer, etc., has to be the route to to achieve the point of mind, body and spirit unity. There are a lot of physical activities which can help young people achieve this, such as rowing, paddling, martial arts, running, etc. And I don't believe the physical activity must always be competitive, as long as a challenging goal is set and strived for.

So, did you have fun? Did you learn the imfamous Mississippi Hotdog? Please share! :lurk5:

My dh bought a DVD recorder and plugged in the VHS machine to it. You can buy one machine that will do this, too.

I want a dog I can run with (marathon distance), is around the 40 - 60 pound weight, is good with kids and doesn't shed. Any suggestions? I'm thinking standard poodle or poodle cross. We have a 13 year old Wheaton Terrier now. I'm not opposed to a terrier, though I wouldn't mind something on the calmer side. :001_smile:

It's absolutely true statistically that physical activity in childhood leads to a higher probability of physically active adults. You can always find examples of former athletes who are no longer physically active, though.

It's not that hard to make, but it does take some practice to roll well. It's also helpful to have the right tools and ingredients. The bamboo rolling pad, proper rice, sharp knife, for example. I don't make it with fish, just imitation crab meat and the other stuff for California roll.

I haven't read through all the replies. I'm all for well organized and coached sports, if the child enjoys it. You can get a lot of the same positive character training you would through sport from music training, too. Though sports has the added potential of building a healthy body. Many professional musicians add in the physical activity to enhance their body's strength in order to help their music playing.

I guess it depends on what your goal is with your history studies. If you want to really get to know the people and places of a region, it requires time. Growing up in Canada, there was definitely an over-kill regarding Canadian history and geography, to the detriment of ancient and world history. I just spent 2 school years studying American and Canadian history from the 1600s to the 1800, and we have part of a year to go. I think it was time well spent, and the American and Canadian compontents didn't happen in a vaccuum. Other countries in the world had major roles in the development of these two countries. I guess it's like looking at an ant coloney from the ant's point of view, getting to know the queen ant (or is this just bees), the tunnels, who made new tunnels, where their food comes from, etc. compared to looking at the ant coloney within the context of the whole backyard.

I certainly wouldn't classify you as a "non-exerciser." I guess it is a difference in perception. You intentionally move, or maybe it's almost become habit. But at some point you tell your body, "Get up and move. Play with your child. Do laps around the play structures." That is exercise and physical activity. It's cheap, fits well within your life-style, and is great for you and your dc at this stage in your life. Undoubtably your movement will change and evolve as your dc age and their activities change. It will be neat to hear what you run laps around in 5 or 10 years.

Do you do physical activity? That is a great way to get continue the downward weight shift. If you already exercise, try a new activity, try to use some alternating speed/slow work with aerobic movement. Stength work is also excellent for burning calories. Also, I find that being out in the heat totally changes my eating habits. I eat much less, drink more, and the weight does come off. Try walking, gardening or biking outside, just becareful of dehydration or too much sun.

I really appreciate the comments about exercise or physical activity being incorporated into our everyday family lives. This is awesome! And Soror mentioned that every individual and family is at a different point on a continuum. Sometimes we need to think about the specific needs of each person in the family, though. A mom's needs are not the same as a child's. An adult needs time to stretch and strengthen a body which is completely different than a child. And what motivates an adult to get up and move is also very different than a child. An older adults needs and goals are different than a younger parent. Exercises/physical activity can be a tool to benefit the lifestyle of anyone. I was at my running training last night, and the physical therapist guest speaker commented about how she loves working with older adults. An 85 year old lady and client of hers was so thrilled with the strength and flexibility exercises she had been doing and the effect on her life. She said, "I don't want to have to use this walker for the rest of my life!" For me, I'd be thrilled to make it to 85 years old. For her, exercise is a pathway to freedom in her daily life.

This is excellent, and shows how mom's exercise can evolve and change as the children grow. I did wonder what a pushchair was, though, until I saw you are from Scotland. The idea of pushing a chair sounded like a very strenuous work-out!! :001_smile: and up a hill.... wow!

Congratulations!!! My dh is doing the c25k as well, and I started my dc on it, too. It's a wonderful program. Keep on running, and keep updating. :001_smile:

Did you just say the word "run"? Is that a Freudian slip? :lol: Or maybe the clothes do have some influence?

Yes, I'm definitely a better evening person. I often take a relaxing bath after evening exercise, which both eases the muscles and makes me sleepy. The best part is the dc are alseep and I get some relaxing alone time! Summer is great that way! Though as my dc get older, I've been able to fit in family skating and skiing times in the winter. It sure makes the winter more fun, and we all get the bonus of physical activity in the long, dark winter.

Yes! We spent about 5 hours at the Philadelphia National Historical Museum (which includes Independence Hall, Liberty Bell and much more) last summer, and saw a lot. You don't need tons of time, but you can certainly spend more than that. The museum is free, there is a wonderful Junior Ranger Program, and there is an awesome storytelling program called "Once upon a Nation." Check the website for the details, because you do need to book a time to get into Independence Hall. There is underground parking nearby at reasonable rates, too. For NYC, I've heard that the Bronx Zoo is excellent, though I've never been there myself. Manhattan is interesting to walk around, though not specifically historical. Perhaps the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island would be of interest? You need lots of time to wait for the ferry, and get to the islands, etc.

I have the same issues, except my dh often goes to work at 5:30am. I'm not a morning person, so the exercise I do without the dc is always the evening. Weekends are usually more flexible. When the season of very young children changes to older children who can be left alone, then you'll have much more flexibility. Hang in there!

I hear ya! I've been on this computer far too much today already. But you know what, I'll take the 30 minutes of "exercise" off my bottom over not doing it at all. Often the 30 minutes leads to more and more time off my bottom and doing more useful things.

I love the title "Start small." It is so true. I think walking up stairs instead of taking the elevator and parking far away in the parking lot is EXACTLY what it means to start small. Build physical activity into your normal daily routine. It doesn't necessarily have to ever become competitive sports, but if you do start you just never know how far you can actually go. I started back into run/walking when I had three children aged 4, 2 and newborn. A friend with two dc challenged me to do a little "Beaver chase" run/walk of 30 minutes. It was the start, and there were a lot of bumps and pauses along the way, but now 8 years later I just ran my first half marathon and am training for my first full marathon.

That is such an awesome idea to pre-make French toast! As far as freezing vs fridge, it may depend on your cooling equipment. We use a cooler, so I'd freeze them to help keep everything else cool in the cooler. I would think you could just take them out in the morning, break them apart, and they'd defrost really quick, especially being sticks. Will you heat them in a fry pan before serving?

I agree 100%, though I would add the word "physical" in front of activity. I just did a wonderful physical work-out called vaccuuming the house. My heart rate was elevated, I was bending and stretching, lifting and walking. That is exercise or physical activity, whatever you want to call it, it's all good. Just like we sometimes need to re-define the activities we consider "school" - we need to re-define activities we consider "exercise."

There is a whole continuum of "exercise" level, and certainly some take exercising to the extreme. That doesn't mean we toss out the word "exercise" and make it seem a dirty word. The reality is in western culture is that we are limiting our health, quality of life, longevity of life, and often that of our children, because we live too sedentary. And if you live in a country with social medicine like me, the cost burden of caring for millions of unhealthy aging people is going to be a huge problem for our children. 3 X 10 minutes of activity which increases your heart rate, includes some weight-bearing activity (carrying the weight of your own body), and includes some strength building, each day as an optimal goal, several times a week is going to vastly improve general health for anyone of any age. There are going to be seasons in life where the optimal is just not possible, though striving toward the goal is always an option.

I think a lot of people have the idea that the only way to exercise is to go to a specific place, wear certain clothes, and spend a lot of time and money. It is not so! You can walk, jog, bike with your children. Gardening, cleaning the leaves from the pool, golf with plastic balls in the backyard, jump rope with and w/o the kids. Just move the body.

Did you try looking up recipes for salad dressings and fruit? Did you look up recipes in French from French sources? I bet they make a lot of simple ones with oil, vineager and fresh herbs and some with cream or yogurt. Fruits may be stewed or served fresh.

Thank you so much for sharing your stories! It's really encouraging to hear how other moms are able to get moving and stay healthy. Being homeschoolers, we are so committed to the education of our children, and at times have very little energy or time to spare for ourselves. Exercise can seem like one more burden to carry. Unfortunately, the bigger burden may be a body that cannot function as we'd like in the future. I want to be there for my grandchildren, and I want my children to have a positive role model for leading a healthy, active life-style. Last summer I met a homeschooling family with 4 children who didn't have a vehicle. They walked, biked and bussed to their destinations. It really made me think about the times I use my car when I don't really need to. With more planning, I can bike or walk for many things. So last summer we had a family goal to use the van as little as possible. We'll be doing this again this summer. It's great for me and the dc!