Gotta Run!

June 13 2011

By MealEasy in Articles

We’ve taken up running in our household. I usually get up at 5:20am to go for a 30 minute run every weekday morning, weather permitting. If it’s raining, then I ride my bicycle which I have set up on a trainer in the basement.

My wife started running last summer and she HATES IT! She hates it so much that she recently ran the 5km in the Bluenose Marathon. Our daughter and I got to cheer her on. Why does she run then if she hates it so much? That’s easy; she wants to maintain her good health. She usually runs 3 times a week with a friend and then on Sundays, they are joined by another friend for a 1 hour to 1 ½ hour walk. Usually this means that our daughter (the Bee) stays home with me while mom and her friends are out walking.

But last weekend they invited the Bee along for the walk. They made sure to bring the stroller with them as they were sure that the Bee would not be able to walk for that long…she’s only three after all. So off they went to a local park with many walking trails to do their weekly walk.

No sooner where they on the trail when the Bee started running! And running! She was overjoyed to be able to join the “girls” for their weekly jaunt. She insisted on running for the first 5 minutes of their trip. Soon she was back in the stroller and mom had to push her, but she did get out every now and then to run some more. The fact that her mom goes running and ran in a race has left quite an impression on the Bee. And, while three years of age is far too young to be running any long distances, the fact that the Bee sees us being active and wants to be active herself is awesome!

Instilling the need for exercise and good nutrition at an early age cannot but help foster a healthy lifestyle for years to come. We didn’t force the Bee to go running, but because she sees mom and dad do it, she has taken it upon herself to do the same. Health, exercise and nutrition go hand in hand in hand. Teaching our children the importance of a healthy lifestyle even at a very young age should not be dismissed. Healthy habits begin at home and begin early.

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