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4 Tips for Teaching Kids Healthy Easting Habits

In today’s world, it can be difficult teaching kids healthy eating habits. Large corporations pay big bucks to push processed foods packed with sugars, GMO’s and artificial coloring to young audiences through lively commercials and colorful ads.

To help parents encourage their children to lead a healthy lifestyle, the staff at Life Sports Fitness Fort Lauderdale after school program have pulled together their tips for teaching kids healthy eating habits.

Tip #1: You control what goes into the fridge and pantry. Avoid succumbing to pestering from your kids for junk food and stock your home with more healthy and nutritious foods than not. It’s ok to have some unhealthy foods, but again, you decide how much of it is available and when you will serve it.

Tip #2:  Give your kids a choice. Although you should be the one choosing which foods enter your home, the instructors at our Broward Country after school program suggest giving your kids the option of choosing between healthy meals.

Tip #3: Be a good role model. By being a positive influence and choosing nutritious foods to eat, you’ll benefit both yours and your child’s health.

Tip #4: Stop enforcing a “clean-plate” rule. For many of us, we grew up with the notion that cleaning our plate was a good thing, but with today’s portion sizes that notion could lead to overeating.

To learn more about teaching kids healthy eating habits and how you can get your child involved in a positive after school program in Fort Lauderdale, contact our staff at Life Sports Fitness.

April 27, 2016

Junior Sailing: The Health Benefits

Summer sailing programs for youth in South Florida are not just for keeping them occupied or fueling their interest in sailing. Making the decision to enroll your child in a summer sailing program in Fort Lauderdale, Florida can be great for both their physical and mental well-being. Life Sports Fitness afterschool programs in South Florida are geared towards getting youth to practice healthy habits, as well as exercise. Our Coral Ridge Summer Sailing Program for children can offer your young ones not only a ton of summer fun, but also the following physical health benefits of sailing.

  1. Muscle strength and endurance. Learning how to pull and hoist sails to maneuver the boat while tackling gusts of wind, adds to your child’s muscle strength in areas like the shoulders and back that they may not be working out on a daily basis.
  2. Cardiovascular. Summer sailing programs require deep breaths, allowing for extra oxygen intake during the water recreation/sport. Sailing improves cardiovascular health and reduces the risk of obesity and heart illness.
  3. Mental wellness. Summer sailing programs for children in South Florida are a popular choice among parents because not only do youth think it’s cool and fun, but it also relaxes the mind. It may be the opinion of some that being out on the water relaxes you just due to scenery and peacefulness, but actually, it’s because of the salty air. Sea air is composed of charged ions that help the body absorb more oxygen, which then balances serotonin levels and makes people relaxed and happy.

 

Life Sports Fitness has the best afterschool programs and summer programs for youth in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Our expert staff are ready to help your child have a memorable summer, have fun, all while maintaining their physical and emotional health. Check out our Coral Ridge Summer Sailing Program registration dates and requirements for this coming Summer 2016.

April 27, 2016

Healthy Recipes Picky Eaters Will Love

It happens every week. You get home from a long day of work and the kids begin to ask when dinner will be ready. While you stand there and think about which healthy meal you will prepare for your picky toddler (who will most likely not eat it), you can’t help but wish to have your own personal chef. Having a personal chef is a long shot, but Life Sports Fitness knows a great deal about picky eaters. Because of this, we have formulated different healthy kid-friendly recipes that can turn any picky eater into an eating machine.

Spaghetti & Meatballs 

Turn this classic kid-friendly meal into a healthy bite by simply using our healthy kid-friendly recipes. Stretch the ground beef with high-fiber bulgur, and add whole wheat breadcrumbs into the meatballs. In order to go the extra step, baking the meatballs instead of frying them, and substitute in whole wheat pasta.

Almond Crusted Chicken Fingers 

Instead of coating the chicken in bread crumbs or other batters, coat them with almond and whole wheat flour and then oven-fry them. Life Sports Fitness can guarantee that with half the standard fat of breaded chicken tenders, you kids will enjoy this healthy kid-friendly recipe.

No-Bake Mac & Cheese 

Not only is this ultra-creamy version of mac-and-cheese nearly as fast as the boxed variety, but your family will be able to pronounce every ingredient. If they aren’t broccoli fans, substitute a frozen vegetable of your choice.

Black Bean Quesadilla 

In a hurry? These satisfying quesadillas take just 15 minutes to make. Life Sports Fitness likes them with black beans, but pinto beans work well too. That’s the beauty of using healthy kid-friendly recipes – there are always plenty of options. For those who like a little heat, use pepper jack cheese in the filling. Serve with a little sour cream and a mixed green salad – voila!

These healthy kid-friendly recipes are easy to make and satisfy that picky palette your child may have. At Life Sports Fitness, we encourage a healthy lifestyle and eating healthy is the first major step.

April 27, 2016

The Benefits of Children Playing Golf

Golf’s popularity in South Florida has recently been growing as people follow the young golfers making their way up to championship level players.One of the benefits of kids golf programs is that it is a sport that can be a great past-time hobby, but also has fundamental skill building tools to offer. Life Sports Fitness offers an After School Junior Golf Program that will teach your children the foundational skill sets of golf as well as the benefits of kids golf programs and how they can grow and continue down the road. Instructors will cover material from putting to full swing to etiquette and rules of the game. Teaching your kids golf will also instill in them important life lessons such as patience, good manners and honesty. The game relies heavily on the honor system because no one will keep track of your strokes except you.

Life Sports Fitness kids golf programs encourage golf as a great way to stay healthy. Walking a nine-hole course while carrying your bag of clubs can burn hundreds of calories. The After School Junior Golf Program is offered to players of all levels ages 6-18. But it can also be a family affair outside of the program for the whole family to have fun and stay active together. Golf has no age limit to whom can participate and is one of the few sports that can be enjoyed by people centuries apart. So teaching your kids to golf is a forever gift you are giving them.

Check out Life Sports Fitness Junior Golf Program for ways to get your child involved in this beneficial after school sport.

April 27, 2016

4 Tips for East Summer-to-School Transition for Children

At Life Sports Fitness, an afterschool program in South Florida, we know that the transition from school to summer is an exciting one for kids. However, we also realize that it may be difficult on parents dealing with children who suddenly have lots of extra time. Children are taken from the structure of school routines and thrown into the freedom of summer, leaving them under-stimulated and bored with wasted hours.

In order to make an easy school to summer transition smoother, our Fort Lauderdale summer program has come up with some tips to make the shift as easy as possible.

 

  1. Create a summer bucket list: 

Get your children in the right frame of mind by sitting down with them and creating a fun summer-to-do bucket list. Let your child brainstorm everything they wish they can do over break in order to have the best summer ever. Once everything is written down get a jump on crossing off the events on their list!

 

  1. Set up educational activities: 

It is important to keep children stimulated educationally over the schooling hiatus in order to avoid summer learning loss. Your children can still have a fun time all while learning and challenging themselves academically. Some teachers even assign summer reading lists to keep kids sharp and on track over the summer.

 

  1. Schedule play dates: 

Make sure to keep your child social over the summer. Plan fun events for your child and their friends with the other parents. There are many fun activities to choose from such as barbeques, sleep overs, pool parties, etc. The friendships they have maintained over the summer will help ease kids back into the upcoming school year.

 

  1. Sign up for summer camps and sports: 

Summer activities and summer camps are great ways to get kids active and involved throughout their break from school. At Life Sports we offer sailing classes, golf lessons, swimming sessions, educational camps, and other sports and nutrition camps. Summer camps in Coral Ridge are a great way to help your child find and develop new skills and hobbies that they otherwise wouldn’t have access to.

April 27, 2016

How to Get Your Child to Volunteer

Volunteering is one of the most rewarding experiences in life, but it can be difficult to convince your child of that when they can think of a million other things they would rather do. To help get your kids to recognize the benefits of helping others, the staff at our Fort Lauderdale after school program, Life Sports Fitness, have put together the following guide on how to get your child to volunteer.

Volunteer as a family. Instead of dropping your kids off to complete volunteer work, find something the whole family can do. Pitching in in your community together allows your family more time together and strengthens your family bond. Volunteering as a family will also generate conversations about why reaching out to those in need is so important.

Have your kids pick volunteer work based on their interests. If your child likes basketball, the counselors at our after school program in Broward suggest teaching other kids with special needs how to play the game. If they are doing what they love, kids will find volunteer work less tedious and more enjoyable.

Start with small volunteer projects. You don’t have to spend hours upon hours at a local animal shelter to teach your child the importance of giving back. Start your child’s volunteer work off with smaller outreach efforts, like asking her to perform a dance she learned for a small elderly group at a nursing home. She will quickly see how something like that can brighten someone’s day and more than likely want to continue to volunteer.

April 27, 2016

Healthy Eating for Children Who Play Sports

If you have children who participate in sports, one of the best ways to get them to eat healthier is to educate them on the many reasons why eating healthy is important for their sports performance.

Life Sports Fitness offers afterschool programs and summer programs in Fort Lauderdale, Florida – but with a twist! All of our youth programs are geared towards building and maintaining a certain level of physical activity, while simultaneously building social skills and emotional development.

So, how can you implement healthy eating for children in sport’s programs? The expert coaches at Life Sports Fitness recommend making them meals and snacks that include all of the essentials that children in sport’s programs need to use as fuel for their bodies, keeping them energized and strong.

Make sure that your children in sport’s programs have at least three meals a day that include the following:

  • Protein: meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, beans, nuts, and dairy
  • Carbohydrates: fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
  • Vitamins: fruits, vegetables
  • Minerals: calcium found in dairy

Life Sports Fitness may encourage healthy eating for children while under our watch; however, healthy eating habits are built at home. Even if you do not have children in sport’s programs, healthy eating habits will help their physical shape and fuel their minds for proper learning and attention in school. Healthy eating habits not only impact the field – but the classroom as well.

If you are looking for an afterschool or summer youth program in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, contact our office today at 954-649-0020 for more information.

April 27, 2016

Summer Surf Lessons in Fort Lauderdale

Summer comes and goes. Before you know it, your kids have wasted this summer inside playing video games or watching TV. They don’t know what they are missing! More parents are considering summer surfing camps to help get the kids out of the house. They have the chance to learn a new skill, interact with new kids their own age, and stay healthy. If keeping your child healthy this summer is a priority and you’re looking into local summer camps in South Florida, you’ve reached the right place.

Life Sports Fitness is offering a plethora of summer programs for kids. The summer surfing camp is an opportunity for your children to learn a new sport and get involved in the outdoors. Local summer camps in South Florida won’t be able to meet the high standards of the hands on training and supervision that our experienced, enthusiastic health coaches will offer. Under our supervision, this summer will definitely not be wasted!

What your child will learn during the summer surfing camp will be a skill that lasts them for the rest of their lives. The fun and training they will undergo will ensure that they forget they are actually keeping healthy at the same time. Anytime fun, learning, and exercise can be combined in such an effective manner, the results will compound and speak for themselves. Visit the summer surfing camp page to learn more and sign your child up for a once in a lifetime experience. Here’s to keeping your child healthy this summer!

April 27, 2016

Three Tips for Raising a Good Sport

We’ve all seen Mighty Ducks, and we all definitely remember the scene where Coach Gordon says, “They know that if they mess with one duck, they gotta mess with the whole flock!” While Coach Gordon initially starts out as an unwilling participant in the team’s activities, he eventually evolves into a good sport after going through the ups and downs with his team.

Consider Life Sports Fitness your child’s real-life version of the Mighty Ducks. By sending them to one of our after school or summer programs in Coral Springs, Florida, you are ensuring that they will master the art of playing well with others.

Before you send your kids over to us, make sure to check out this list from Life Sports Fitness of three tips for raising a good sport!

  1. Commit your child to both practices and games. No matter how hard you try to plan out your day, something is bound to come up when you have children. However, this does not mean that not being a good sport and skipping a practice is an option; regardless of whether or not they are playing volleyball, basketball, baseball, football, or soccer, signing your kids up for one of our after school programs will show them how their absence negatively affects their team.
  2. Celebrate success as a group. While professional athletes may make a spectacle of themselves when they score a point, this does not mean your child should think that’s okay. Life Sports Fitness will teach your kids how to be a good sport by keeping celebrations low-key.
  3. Cope with losing. No matter what way you slice it, no one wins all the time. By teaching your child how to be a good sport, you not only teach them how to be resilient in the future when things don’t go their way, but also how to congratulate the other team for winning.

April 4, 2016 1

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Call Us Today! 954-649-0020