My 14 yr old son and I want to get fit, where do we start?

My son approached me about wanting to get into shape. He is 5'10 and weighs 186lbs so he is now a small kid. I don't want to start with a drastic change, I'd prefer to do it gradually over a few weeks.





Right now our eating habits are horrible and we would like to get into a better routine. What are some good breakfast choices? It's a meal we miss often and I know we need to eat in the morning.





Also, we're going to work out starting with cardio. What would you recommend so we don't over do it? We have access to roller blades, stationary bikes, treadmills and a home gym type of weight machine.





Any other suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

My 14 yr old son and I want to get fit, where do we start?
aww this is nice, i wish more parents cared enough about their kids to care about their health.


first of all yes, it is very important to eat breakfast. even if its just a slice of toast with peanut butter and an orange or something. you could also buy healthy cereals (look for whole grain, low sugar...no more than 200 calories per half a cup)


oatmeal is great too, just pop it in the microwave and add a small amount of brown sugar and its deeelicious





lunch should be healthy too. things to eat are:


carrots or celery


apples


oranges


bananas


grapes


turkey with mustard on whole wheat


peanut butter sandwhiches (but watch portion size)


lowfat yogurt


small lowfat granola bars





dinner:


chicken or fish - grilled, broiled, or baked NOT covered in cheese or butter


brocolli steamed with lemon and a little salt


brown rice (watch portion sizes)


small baked potatos with salsa


whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce and vegetables





things to GREATLY reduce eating:


fried foods


sodas (diet and regular)


white bread


sweets (u gotta have some tho ;) )


fatty meats (chicken, fish, and turkey are better choices)


cheesy buttery whatever (you need some dairy and fat, just watch it)





exercise is good too


assuming u've never exercised (or its been a looong while) start out walking briskly...


aim to do 20-30 minutes of cardio 4 -5 times a week.


start out slowly, like a said, a brisk (but not killer) walk, biking (again, be comfortable, you should be able to talk comfortably)


start with small weights. a general rule i guess is to do 2 set of 12-15 reps of whatever you have.





two good websites, one for you, one for your son


these will give u work out and diet tips and help:


www.sparkpeople.com (for you)


www.sparkteens.com (for your son)





good luck! be healthy and safe! don't hurt yourself!!
Reply:With all mum-son routines I think its important to keep it fun. Rather than focus on one particular activity, why not make an agreement that at a particular time each day or on set days each week you will do something active together.





Being active doesn't have to be a chore, and by doing a variety of activities each week will keep it interesting and memorable.
Reply:well, start on a balanced diet.. i mean eat oatmeals and fruits........ it will help you a lot..because oatmeals have also long been a staple of many athletes' diets, especially weight trainers', given oatmeal's high content of complex carbohydrates and at least exercise f0r 1 hour everyday....... go dancing.. find videos on workin out..





hope this will help you lose weight....
Reply:roller skates are just fun, good for ankles but i dunno about weight that much.





breakfast is a must im sure you know that.





good with cardio very good.


well, i don't know the age of your son so i don't nkow what to tell you about length time. but i can tell you, you need to run for about 30-60 minutes at a steady and comfortable pace. keep your heart rate at 160-190 bpm. you can start at a jog and slowly go to a run. after that lift some weights. NOT EXTREMELY HEAVY really light and easy weights (but enough so you can feel it lol) 3 sets of 10 for a start to work on endurance and toning your muscles.





great breakfast choices would be picking off of the food pyramid. get some healthy cereals with whole wheat and grain. change your bread from white to multi grain. NO SODA/JUICE/CANDY (...candy every once in a while IN MODERATION.)





ps gradually is good.





maybe mon wed fri cardio and light lifting


tues and thurs only lifting and strength (push ups crunches abs)





if you want to do it gradually only run for about 15 min and lift weights for 20. as the days/ weeks go on, increase the time.





go on runs! hikes! bike ride! go swimming!



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