5 ways to get your family moving

It is never too early to start thinking about your bone health. Childhood is when we accumulate bone mass. We reach our peak bone mass around age 30, and from that point forward, lose bone mass. Therefore, the higher level we start off with, the better. Exercise and a healthy diet contribute to strong bones. Please encourage your children to participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily. Weight-bearing activity is also critical because loading the bones is what helps to make them strong. As parents and adults, it is important to set a good example of exercising for our children and also encourage them to participate with us or in their own activities.

Diet is also an important factor to bone health, as well. It is recommended that children get adequate calcium intake. Between the ages of 9 and 18, the recommendation is 1300 mg daily.

Tips:

• Make time for exercise – plan physical activity into the weekly schedule.
• Try a new activity – encourage your children to try a variety of activities and sports.
• Be active as a family – enlist the whole family to participate in physical activity together.
• Make exercise fun – usually kids see physical activity as fun, while adults see it as exercise. Make sure your children are enjoying the activities that they are participating in, and it won’t feel like work.
• Talk about it – talk to your kids about the importance of being physical active and living a healthy lifestyle.

Sara Dumich, MD is an Advocate Medical Group physician specializing in sports medicine. She currently practices in Bloomington-Normal where she also serves as a team physician for Illinois State Athletics. Dr. Dumich is a former collegiate gymnast and last fall completed her first IronMan triathlon.