Fitness Week - My Gym at Home

To kick off Fitness Week I have 'My Gym at Home - Fun with Monique' by BabyFirstTV.

This DVD is specifically design to "assist in the formation and development of your child's motor skills, flexibility and social skills." Plus, it's just plain fun.

Monique Vranesh, leads you through a series of exercises to be done with your toddler. Along with her cheery personality, the upbeat music and traditional kids' songs makes this exercise regime more like a sing-a-long play group. The time you spend stretching and bouncing with your little one will make you forget you're getting a work out as well.

Here's more of what My Gym at Home has to offer;

* Hip Rolls and Tickles

* Head Stand

* Flying Forward Roll on a Ball

* Knee Balancing

* Log Rolls Down the Hill

* Ship Prow

And because toddlers attention spams vary, each segment is approximately 7 minutes long. You can also stop after the first one or keep going for more frolicking-fun. Plus, the exercises don't have to be done in order, so you can skip around for more variety. My Gym at Home DVD would be perfect for small groups.

Want to win my copy of My Gym at Home? Just leave me a comment in this blog spot and I'll do a random draw on Friday August 20'th.

For more information, check out their web site here or click here to order My Gym at Home and other BabyFirst products.

About BabyFirstTV:

BabyFirstTV is the nation's only 24/7 channel dedicated to babies and their parents. The channel features programming specifically tailored to meet the needs of infants and toddlers. The program's content focuses on areas of development ranging from language to numbers to creative thinking.

Kids' Fitness Week Begins

The weather is warming up, it's time to shake off the winter blues and those few extra pounds; the kids are no exception. But where do you start? Right here...

To kick off our kids' fitness week, Dr. Dolgoff, author of Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right, has generously contributed a wonderful article on;

Using Your Child's Fitness Personality to Create a Fun Exercise Regimen!

Personality traits, genetics, and athletic ability combine to influence kids' attitudes toward participation in sports and other physical activities. Help your kids figure out their fitness personality based on their overall personality to ensure a lifelong love of exercise!

If your child is very social, encourage team sports, dance classes, biking, or skateboarding with a friend. These activities will keep your child active and entertained for hours.

For the introspective child, try exercises such as yoga, swimming, jump rope, jogging, or working out with an exercise video. Team sports might be too much pressure to perform in front of an audience. The suggested exercises allow your child to exercise at her own pace.

If your child is adventurous and likes to be outdoors, suggest exercises such as rock climbing, hiking, snowboarding, surfing or even mountain biking. These sports will keep your child motivated each time he hits a new trail!

For the creative child, suggest exercises that they will allow your child to express herself, such as dance classes, yoga, gymnastics, ice skating, dancing around the house, running, fast walking or even using exercise equipment at home with music she loves.

If your child is competitive at heart, encourage as many team sports as possible, such as tennis, hockey, or soccer. Try to encourage running sports so she is able to benefit from the great cardiovascular workout!

Creating a Workout Regimen:

When creating a workout routine, choose the sports or exercises that fit your child the best and make it fun. Try adding music to each routine or creating a playlist; music is a powerful motivation tool and makes everything more enjoyable! Below is an example of a detailed workout regimen:

First start with a warm-up to allow the muscles to wake up and get ready for the work ahead! A warm-up should last between 4 to 10 minutes. Do exercises that focus on the major muscle groups of the body. Try walking around the block or up and down the stairs, lunges, squats, shoulder rolls, and raising and lowering the shoulders.

Next, start working on increasing the heart rate for the cardiovascular (aka “cardio” portion of the exercise. Try to keep your child’s heart rate up for at least 30 minutes to get the most benefits. Try running/jogging, jumping, skipping, jumping jacks, biking, swimming, dancing, and kick-boxing or even surfing when it’s nice out!

Now, try working on strength. This does not mean body building or even lifting weights; muscle strength can be improved using your own body weight and is very safe for children. Try doing at least two of the different exercises for at least 5 minutes each. Try push-ups on the floor or at the wall, plank, stomach crunches, wall squats, throwing and catching a weighted ball, lunges, or even jumping squats.

Of course we must end with the cool down! The cool down is just as important as all the other parts of the exercise routine but is usually skipped. After working out, muscles can start to tighten up, leading to injury. Be sure to stretch the muscles that were worked out during the exercise routine. Try doing at least two different stretches for 3 to 5 minutes each; try neck rolls, shoulder rolls, quad stretches, hamstring stretches, butterfly stretch (sit on the floor with the soles of feet touching and lower upper body, nose to feet), or sit on the floor and forward bend, trying to touch your toes while keeping your legs straight.

Try as many different exercises as possible to keep your child moving. Kids who exercise often are less likely to become overweight or obese and have a decreased risk of developing type II diabetes and heart disease. They also sleep better and have an all around positive attitude about life. Regular exercise, along with a balanced diet will lead to a lean body with strong muscles and bones, allowing for a long and healthy life!

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Dr. Dolgoff completed her Pediatric Residency training at Columbia Presbyterian's Children's Hospital of New York. She has previously worked as a private practice pediatrician and is a Board Certified Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Dr. Dolgoff’s Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right practice boasts a greater than 90% weight loss success rate. There are offices in Manhattan, N.Y. and Roslyn Heights, N.Y. There is also a national online component (http://www.drdolgoff.com/) to the program which children all over the country have been using to lose weight.

Catch the Sniffles - Sniffle Buddies

We’ve all been there – your nose starts to drip and you’re caught without a tissue. So what do you do? I know I’ve had to casually (and quickly) wipe the offending drip on my…okay sleeve, but what else could I do.

Kids are the same, except with their busy hands and busy minds they automatically sniffle on their sleeve. So it’s no wonder there’s a high rate of colds and flu’s that travel throughout the classroom and schools.

Well no more thanks to Sniffle Buddies. These soft, organic, hypo-allergenic wrist bands are perfect for you or your little one. Here’s what Sniffle Buddies has to offer:

Soft Construction: made with Bamboo Velour – 70% Organic Bamboo/28% Organic Cotton/2% Poly (for stretch)

Comfortable: Absorbent to wick away moisture, cooler and dryer than cotton. Well suited to babies, toddlers, and adults.

Healthful: “Bamboo Kun” found in Bamboo is naturally antimicrobial. Even after fifty washes; bamboo fabrics still retain their anti-fungal and antibacterial nature.

In addition, these can be worn by active adults for hiking, biking, gardening, golf, yoga, tennis, jogging, or whenever you need a “hands-free” moment during allergy and flu season. Sniffle Buddies are also perfect for special needs adults or children.

Check out Sniffle Buddies web site at; http://www.snifflebuddies.com/

Note: I have 1 Sniffle Buddies to giveaway - the first person who leaves me a comment in this spot WINS!