The fun run: A family affair.

Let's say that someone suggests to you that you start a family running program. What would your response be? Maybe something like, "Why would I want to run with my family?"

"I don't have kids," your co-worker says.

Wait! Read on to find out why running with your family (or a youth group) can be fun and beneficial to you as well as to the children.

This is especially valuable during the critical 100 days of summer. How much extra time do you spend with your children following the end of their school year? Chances are, you'd like to spend more time with them; but with work, meetings, running, and workouts, trying to squeeze in a little extra quality time is tough.

Running with your family kills two birds with one stone: You get to spend more time together, and you are demonstrating a positive attitude toward fitness. (If you don't have children, you probably can "adopt" some by working with a local youth or church group.)

Reducing Childhood Inactivity Through Running

The number of overweight children has more than doubled over the past 20 years. The negative health consequences associated with childhood obesity and inactivity are very worrisome. In fact, some sources say that by the time an overweight child reaches age 15, he or she has at least one or more risk factors for cardiovascular disease. It is likely that inactive kids will become inactive adults.

You can help by being a role model and an advocate.

Increasing physical activity during childhood will yield favorable results for many years. In addition, you will help your children to deal with stress since physical activity reduces stress. You will be greatly rewarded--and so will they.

Let's get started! Most runners will want to continue their usual running routine while getting the family involved. First, do your homework--find a park or a running area where you can measure one mile. Then get out your running shoes and a stopwatch and take the calendar from the fridge to plan an exciting few weeks.

Have a family planning meeting and make a plan for a "fun run" to run a mile together. Start off by giving each family member his or her favorite color magic marker to track progress on the calendar. It's best to plan activity three times a week and encourage the children to play physical games on the other days since kids usually run more when playing games.

Ready, Set, (and Wisely) Go!

It's important to start out slowly and increase your activity level to prevent disappointment and injury. For school-age children who are inactive, a reasonable place to start would be to run for 4 minutes and walk for 2 minutes until they reach 1/2 mile. For younger children, aim for 1/4 mile. Try to accompany your family for three times the first 2 weeks, just to get things moving.

The level of activity should remain the same for the second week. You should devote at least one afternoon or evening to the family run if your schedule does not permit you to accompany your family for all three sessions. Remember to chart your usual running on the calendar so that your children can see your dedication to fitness.

During the second and third weeks, gradually increase the running time by 1 minute, and decrease walking time by 1 minute. For example, during weeks 3 and 4 the family run should consist of running for 4 minutes and walking for 1 minute for a total of 1 mile. On weeks 5 and 6, run for 5 minutes and walk for 1 minute and increase the distance to 11/4 miles.

Eventually, you can work up to running for 10 minutes and walking for 30 seconds, or running the whole mile. As a gauge, the family should be able to maintain a conversation during the run/walk. Planning fun games or having a healthy picnic is a great way to end the fun run.

Going on vacation? Get the family busy planning the fun run while on vacation. Take advantage of the many beautiful parks in our country. If you rake long weekend trips, encourage the children to take turns selecting a park or an area for the fun run. Before you know it, they will be running without you and becoming more fir at the same time.

If you are working with a youth group, you may want to plan a fun run with different age groups and involve parents and other adults in the community. Print calendars and encourage the children to track their running on the calendar. Foster the children's creativity by encouraging each one to personalize his or her calendar with stickers and drawings. Stand at the finish line for the first one-mile fun run, and hand out compliments as well as prizes. Small prizes and incentives work miracles for children's self-esteem.

A Word of Caution

Don't forget your water bottle! A word to the wise: Children are not little adults, and they respond differently to heat and exercise. Children do not swear as much as adults, so they are less able to cool their bodies. They also absorb heat from their surroundings more easily than adults. These factors can lead to dehydration. Be sure to watch for signs of dehydration, including dry lips (lip licking), flushed cheeks, sunken eyes, fatigue, and dark or infrequent urination.

Give kids a squeeze bottle and encourage them to drink fluids--especially water--before, during, and after activities. A good rule of thumb is 4 ounces of water every 15 minutes during activity. Water is preferable; sports drinks and other beverages containing sodium and sugar may take longer to digest, so kids will feel full even though they should be drinking more.

Seek Advice on Running Shoes

If you are not sure about the type of running shoes to purchase, check with your pediatrician for tips on buying the best running shoes for your children. Your health care provider also can recommend shoes for you and your spouse.

Finally, if you are served by the Fit To Win Office at the Pentagon, contact the Fir To Win Shoe Clinic at [phone] for an appointment.

References

(1.) American College of Sports Medicine: Active Kids.

(2.) American Academy of Pediatrics: Benefits of Physical Activity.

Major Maureen Glendon, USAFR, is a registered nurse and a health promotion director at the DiLorenzo TRICARE Health Clinic, Fit To Win Office. Prior to her assignment at the Pentagon, she spent 15 years as a flight nurse and as assistant chief, Standards and Evaluations at the 514th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey Molar Glendon has a master's degree in the science of nursing and is certified as a nurse practitioner and health promotion director. She is listed in Who's Who in American Women in Nursing and in Outstanding Young Women of America. In her civilian capacity, Major Glendon is a nurse practitioner far the Philadelphia School District.