If you’re a fan of fitness, chances are your kids will be, too. Now, I don’t mean you need to be a stellar athlete or anything — according to Health Psychology journal, parents would be wise to just should show enthusiasm for physical fitness by walking or running in local road races (register your kids if you can — many races have kid versions!) and taking the kiddos to local sporting events. You could also watch sports movies, like we do in our house, and challenge your young ones to master feats now and then. For example, I’ve been timing my 8-year-old son a few times a week in the mile run — he’s been running a consistent 8-minute,  39-second mile, and he’s way proud — and I make sure I run it with him. We’re in it together — I just don’t do as well as he does, I’m a 10-minute mile girl. I think that’s part of the appeal for him — beating his mom. Works for me if it keeps him active.

Are you role modeling fitness in your house? Tell us what you’re doing.

Photo: Matt McGee, Flickr