Fit Kids?

Last night I went to the gym to work out. In the weight room, a woman about my age (obviously very fit) was lifting weights with her son. I guess he was in the 13-14 range. He didn’t seem to be having a lot of fun. Anyway, I had a chance to speak with her briefly in the locker room. Turns out she takes him with her to body building contests etc and makes him work out with her. She said he just started football and she thinks lifting will help, although that wasn’t the only reason. She said he doesn’t like it and she has to make him work out. The child was fairly overweight (she wasn’t). I felt really torn – I mean, I applaud what she is doing. But I wonder if he won’t come to feel resentful at being pressured to work out, and eventually rebel by not exercising?

When I was a kid, my dad always told me how important it was to have a physical activity you enjoyed – one that you could continuing doing into adulthood. I sat around a lot of tennis courts, bored while he played. I hated tennis, and he never asked me to play anyway. So I confess to having a certain bias here.

So, how do you encourage your children to enjoy athletic endeavors, without sending them screaming in the opposite direction?
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What is up with blogger? I’m still having trouble posting.
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I took my son to the doctor for a swollen lymph node – doctor said it was due to his cold and not to worry. I think the salt water sinus irrigation will commence this evening. I missed my lunch time walk, so I think I will walk while he is at the tutor’s. That plus a 2 mile run is pretty decent for the day I think.
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I didn’t bring enough food – by 2 pm I had had 600 calories and was starving. I got a side of red skin mashed potatoes from the cafeteria, and put that with my ¾ cup homemade lentil soup (really just lentils, veggies, & water). Even with the potatoes, I am still tracking well with food for the day.