I was walking the other day when I spotted a young woman running. She was clearly athletic; her ponytail bounced as she jogged past with a relaxed, well-practiced stride.

Yup, those young people get out there and just do it alright.  

I was already thinking about strategies to get everyone else “just doing it” when thirty seconds later an older man huffed past me with a very much less-than-relaxed stride.  “Gotta keep up with my daughter, “ he managed to gasp as he jogged by me.  It became clear that they were a father-daughter pair out exercising. 

Wow! How special is that?  

The daughter was clearly fit and loved her father enough to encourage him to join her on the journey toward wellness.

She was met by her dad who was trying to honor her by being active and improving his own health.

She was met by her dad who was trying to honor her by being active and improving his own health.

Now that’s a team I believe in!

Since that awakening, I see them all the time. I see mothers out there walking and jogging next to their teenage sons. I see families with two or more youngsters running like puppies around a strolling parent.

I see them in the park, on the beach, even in my next door neighbor’s yard when I overhear (promise I wasn’t eavesdropping) dad challenge his son to a basketball game and brag to him “Hey I went jogging today!”.

I learned you don’t have to be an athlete to impress your kids. In fact, our loved ones know all about the need for us to lead healthy, active lives. But impressing them isn’t enough.

How do we make health a part of life? Easily. Make them your team. Get out and go walking or jogging even for one block with your daughter or son, your niece or your nephew.

And if you are one of those kids reading this, tell your mom, dad, auntie or uncle, grandpa or grandma or anyone you love that they are “doing great!”

“Come on, Mom. Come on, Dad. You can do it. Do it for me.”

by Adrian