The Trickle-Down Effect...Part 2

by Katherine Matutes, PhD

I lost the 30 day exercise challenge that finished up May 31st. 

...but I also lost 2 percent of my body fat, two total inches on my body and four pounds of body weight! So even though I didn’t’ come up with the most exercise minutes, I achieved my goal of improving my fitness. 

My family became more active along with me, and this effect trickled down to our other health-related habits: 

• I became more likely to get to bed earlier, which meant I had to get my kids to bed on time as well. 
• I had noticeably happier people in my house - was it the extra activity or extra sleep? 
• Although I already usually make pretty healthy food choices, I did improve the quality of my diet: choosing to make something at home versus dining out, which is almost always less healthy. 
• And I stopped making excuses for not exercising and instead found ways to squeeze in extra activities that often included my kids, who were cheering me on.  

The trick now, of course, is to maintain my renewed enthusiasm for these habits and support my family in keeping up with theirs. I’ve promised my kids canoeing and hiking trips, and I think I almost have my husband sold on ballroom dancing lessons. 

I would love to hear how you keep your family moving!

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