Fitness

As a dad of three little girls, I often find myself cringing at our culture’s concept of female beauty and fitness.

Just turn on the Disney channel and spend a few minutes watching some of their programming. You’ll quickly see what I mean.

Although some shows do a better job than others, the stereotypical figures are slender, petite, and blemish free.

Never mind what is portrayed on prime-time with more adult programming.

What’s The Goal?

Well, you can choose to avoid raising healthy daughters, or you can adopt the norm and hope that your girls aren’t scarred too deeply by trying to be someone they’re not.

Personally, I would suggest picking up a helpful book with the right message.

The idea however, is to pick up something that teaches both the parents and the child.

Enter “The Girl’s Fitness Guide” by Muresan, Morar, and Hawkins.

With the combination of a retired NBA basketball player, a health and fitness expert, and a writer, parents are afforded a guide of how to teach their girls a healthy lifestyle. All the while the girls are encouraged through practical application and technique.

Even for the daughter that may be too young to comprehend, this book is something that can easily be re-taught after you’ve consumed the information yourself.

A thorough Teaching

Now, I may be a little biased towards the topic of exercise because I personally enjoy it and believe in its benefits.

With that being said, this book doesn’t discriminate or cater towards either of the two groups…with those being the knowledgeable fitness enthusiast and the dad that knows very little of the subject.

And trust me, even as a dad that is pretty solid in my understanding of physical fitness, I need to be reminded of how my thinking sometimes needs to change as it relates to my daughters.

So, regardless of depth that you may or may not have in this area, you and your girls can expect to grow wiser in twelve areas.

Those being:

1. The Circles of Fitness. The culmination of exercise, body care, and nutrition.
2. The Fact that Muscles Make it Happen. This is a break-down of the major muscle groups and their function.
3. Exercise – The Big Picture. What it means to exercise and the make-up of exercise (cardiovascular, resistance, and flexibility).
4. Warming Up and Stretching. The reason for performing these prior to exercise.
5. Stretches. Actual diagrams of what stretches to perform.
6. Aerobic Exercise. An overview and what constitutes an exercise as aerobic (running, biking, etc.).
7. Resistance Exercise. Also an overview and what constitutes resistance (weight training) exercise.
8. Exercises. This includes examples and diagrams of both aerobic and resistance exercise and the proper way to accomplish both.
9. Nutrition. You will learn proper nutrition guidelines and the break-down of what your girls should be eating to remain healthy and active (not how to achieve the figure on the cover of the latest tween magazine).
10. Body Care. This includes body hygiene, oral hygiene, and sleep hygiene.
11. Putting it all Together. How all of these areas come together to represent the totality of fitness.
12. 7-Day Exercise Program. Some practical ways to put the lessons in to a weekly routine.

Take a Deep Breath

As if being a dad wasn’t complicated enough, now you have to teach your daughters (and sons) how to be healthy and physically fit?

I’m afraid so…

But, the great thing about this fitness guide is that these things can often be done right in your own home.

Unless their activity level demands it, the book suggests that things begin slowly and with little more than some exercise clothes and some empty floor space.

This is especially true for the younger girls, because with too much exercise (especially resistance training), there can be damage done to their maturing bodies.

How about You?

Are there things you would suggest for raising girls with a proper concept of true beauty and real fitness?

Maybe you have a story of things gone awry, or maybe one that suggests great success?

Either way, give us your ideas in the comment section below.

Just remember, be smart, pick up this fitness guide, and join your kids in this journey of staying physically fit!

More from this Publisher

For more from this author check out their website, Boy’s and Girl’s Guide Books, and their blog at Growing Up Smart. You can also connect with them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for additional information.