Ask an Expert: My son is overweight. What can I do?

EdNews Parent expert Chris Strater responds:

Q. My 9-year-old son is a little overweight and I’m really trying to get him to exercise more. I thought we’d start by getting him to bike to school. We even bought a quality, used bike, but it’s like pulling teeth to get him to ride it. How can I help motivate him to ride?

A. I commend your interest in promoting a healthy lifestyle for your son.

Bicycling is one of the five best cardiovascular activities that you can do for your body. Since your son is not enjoying this activity, let’s work to find him something that he will enjoy and we’ll come back to bicycling a later date.

During a family walk, question your son about activities that interest him, things he likes to do. Start with a few of those activities and work toward creating a monthly exercise calendar to track his physical exercise time. This can also be done for the family to model a healthy lifestyle. Start with your son’s interest and continue to build from there. Possibly a family bike ride on the weekend will peak more bicycling interest.

Good Luck and continue to make a healthy life style a family affair.

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