The best way to get your family on the path to fitness is to show them the way. Families that run together live healthier and have more fun together. Don't just run like a child - run with your child to teach him or her healthy habits, it's really exciting knowing that you're going to participate in an event, not only as an individual, but with your tamariki.
This year I have committed myself to supporting my girls to participate and be active as one. Trust me when I say that it's not entirely easy, from tantrums on a course while participants try to encourage your child to keep going, the countless dropped lips while I threaten to call Aunty to come get my youngest daughter, but it far outweighs the triumph where my daughters race to the finish line before me while they look at me with that 'yes I beat you" look.
I've come to learn that sporting events can be very selfish when raising a young family, and often find myself saying, "I wish I was running that marathon with my husband and friends," but I'm quickly reminded by the three little faces that look at me with that, 'Can I come too, mummy?'
So we arrived at the North Shore Marathon at Gould Park in Takapuna on Sunday to the sound of amping runners, walkers, and children sprawled along Takapuna Beach with the mighty Maunga Rangitoto in the background. A scenic route that started on Takapuna Beach and went on to Devonport, North Head, Milford then back to Takapuna saw us Muriwhenua residents complete a mixture of distances: Shane Cooper and Hinerangi Waikai doing the 42km course; with True Waikai, aged 9, along with Brytnee, 9, Caytlinn, 7, and Louisa Cooper finishing the 10km; while Carlos and son Heremaia Waikai, 7, completed the 5km route.
We all agree that as responsible parents it's up to us to role model, to walk the talk to help them understand that it's so important to be active and eat the right kai for a good quality of life. If we aren't doing it ourselves than why should we expect our children to do it? These days, we all live with stresses of a fast-paced life. Playing together is one area of our busy lives that can pretty easily be cut out in order to make the other areas easier to manage. Yet, I challenge everyone: don't cut back on playing together. This is one simple area of life that can yield incredible benefits for you and your family and when it comes to your health, you can't put a price tag on that.
