Ab Workout - Your Influence On Your Children

By Jose Loni

Include combating childhood obesity in your ab workout arsenal as childhood obesity is the leading cause of adult abdominal obesity. Children today have lost the balance between the energy they take in and the energy they expend, which is key to a healthy weight. They are faced with more food choices, more processed foods and large food portions. And modern man has engineered physical activity out of our children's lives, replacing it with remote controls, computer and video games. As a result, childhood obesity is on the rise.

The major cause of childhood obesity is a non-active lifestyle and too much inactive behaviour like television-watching and computer/video gaming. Engaging in a lot of sitting activities results in buildup of abdominal fat. Abdominal fat is the layer of fat covering the inner organs that puffs out the stomach area.

We have to be concerned about abdominal fat because this fat enters the bloodstream and affects the liver, blood fats, blood pressure and blood vessels in a negative way. An increase in the waistline means an increased risk of heart disease. Abdominal fat also gradually disables the body's insulin, slowing sugar metabolism.

But these health dangers are manageable with exercises that pulverize abdominal fat. Jungle gym, jogging, walking, dancing or even just playing outdoors at least half an hour 2-3 times a week can prevent childhood obesity. Parents can actively participate in their children's well-being by sharing these activities and more with them and by limiting television and computer/gaming time, greatly reducing 'sitting' time.

Physical education programs in schools can offer more interesting activities like dance, martial arts, team sports and even hiking to inspire more student participation.

Projects that the community, like schools, restaurants and grocery stores can do include wellness and obesity education, as well as, offering a good selection of highly nutritious foods at smaller servings. Parents can do the same in their homes with the addition of role modeling to inspire their kids to choose and eat balanced, better quality meals.

There is a direct connection with too much gaming and the development of childhood obesity. This distraction, along with watching too much television and excessive internet surfing leads to little or no interest at all in the previously usual outdoor play, increasing the incidences of child obesity.

But combating childhood obesity can be done through early exposure to physical activity, healthy food choices and maintaining balance in their food intake and energy expenditure. Making these a part of their ab workout routine will get childhood obesity numbers down again. - 17268

About the Author:

Caution: PT & Fitness Professional is offering free fat loss workouts and they will melt fat more quickly than anything you've ever seen!