Why Fitness for Our Youth?

Why do we need to teach our youth, starting from birth, how to be fit? Below I've listed reasons why our childrens health and fitness is so important. I hope you will share it with others.

1. Once your baby is born, it is important to slowly begin exercising again (following your physician's advice and instructions).

2. Begin "including" your baby in your exercise routines, outdoor and indoor activities (with your SportsBaby carrier).

3. Now 1 out of every 3 children develop diabetes, because of their unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle with little exercise and unhealthy eating habits.

4. We, as parents, have the responsibility to help our children avoid developing this terrible disease by including them in our exercising and outdoor activities.

5. Exercising helps control weight, increases our muscle strength, lowers cholesterol and lowers our blood pressure.

6. Exercising and being active increases our energy levels and work capacity.

7. Exercise helps protect us against heart and blood vessel diseases.

8. Exercise and being active reduces our stress, increases relaxation, decreases anxiety and releases tension.

9. Exercise and activity increases our bone density and bone strength.

10. Exercise not only gives us healthy benefits, it's fun and makes us feel better.

11. Examples of great activities: water aerobics (aqua fitness), riding your bike, hiking, power walking, strength training, yoga or pilates, and many more.

12. Take your SportsBaby carrier along. It gives you a great way to include your baby in your activities and exercise routines.

Let's help our children, starting from birth, to live a healthy, active lifestyle. Let's help them avoid developing childhood diabetes. We can do it! Check out www.onboardoutfitters.com and get your SportsBaby on.

Nutrition and Your Active Lifestyle

I've been thinking a lot about health lifestyles lately, and what that really is. I'll share some thoughts with you here, and invite you to add your own comments and opinions, too.

1. I observed a dear friend with her children this past month as she prepared and gave them healthy foods to eat. They are under the age of four, so I am focusing on the importance of teaching and leading by example from the time our children begin to eat solid foods as babies, really. My friend gave them apple slices, cheese, carrot sticks, salad, along with rolls.

2. I was very impressed to see her little children happy and eager to eat these healthy foods. They even asked for more after they had cleaned their plates. They had eaten their vegetables, fruit, calcium, protein, and some good carbs, etc. without any resistance. Later on they asked for a "trail mix" type treat, which is also very healthy.

3. I thought to myself, this is it, this is the key to living a healthy lifestyle, once again. It happens best by leading and providing our own little ones with a healthy lifestyle of their own. My friend is a perfect example. She not only leads by her own example of eating a healthy diet, but also provides one for her little children.

4. As a result, her children are learning to love healthy foods, and wanting to eat healthy foods already. The result is that her children are healthy themselves. She is providing and giving her children the best chance for a healthy nutrious lifestyle by providing them with healthy, good foods to eat, along with giving them opportunities to have a healthy, active lifestyle (swimming, playing at the park, bike riding, etc. together with them). She had her own SportsBaby carrier and loved, as well!

5. I blog mostly about the active, fitness part of our healthy lifestyles. It is an important part, but the other important part is our diet, the foods we eat, how much we eat, and learning to eat in moderation, healthy portions, etc.

6. I'll be blogging more next week about nutrition and the key role it plays in being as healthy as we can be. Even sharing some our our family's favorite healthy snacks, drinks and protein bars, etc. to take along during workouts, exercising, playtime, hiking, biking together (with your children), etc.

7. The bottomline is, if we love our children, we should want what's best for them, including the best, healthiest kinds of foods for them to eat. What a gift to give our children!

Please check out our SportsBaby carriers! What a gift to give your baby, or as a gift for family and friends -- www.onboardoutfitters.com.
See you next week!

Healthy, Active Lifestyle for Life, Pass it On

I have been in the Bay Area the last few days. I loved the warm weather, beautiful vineyards, greenery and flowers everywhere. I lived there the last 17 years, where I raised my family. The best decision I ever made, I do believe. It will always be home, and the best place to live my active, healthy lifestyle "with" my family.

Here are some active lifestyle notes I kept this past week to share with you:

1. While I was "at home" in the Bay Area, I made time (key word for exercising is - "made time") to get out on long, fast walks/jogs and bike rides.

2. My sons also "made time" in their own schedules to exercise with their gym workouts and their mountain bike rides. I think I'll interview them one of these weeks to give us an inside look/perspective of the difference it has made in their lives to have been raised "exercising and playing" together as a family.

3. My goal as their parent - to raise my sons to have the desire to continue being healthy and active throughout their own lives. That's what I wish to pass onto to you.

4. It's a way of life, it's the lifestyle they learned from the time they were babies on.

5. That's our goal with OnBoard Outfitters, LLC. We wish to encourage you to play "with" your family and children from the time they are babies through adulthood.

6. Teach them and lead them by example to play and exercise together.

7. Teach them this healthy, active lifestyle so it will continue on with them day in and day out.

8. It is the best gift you can give your children.

9. So, with the SportsBaby carrier -- our first product -- we hope you will get onboard and live your own healthy, active lifestyle "with" your baby and family!

10. Get your SportsBaby and go have fun in the sun together.

11. Go to our site at www.onboardoutfitters.com. This is the year of the SportsBaby!

Have a great week, and get outside to play "with" your family. Next week I am going to share some helpful nutrition tips. We all know that exercise and nutrition go together for a healthy lifestyle =)

Teaching and Leading by Example

Since it's almost June, and looking like summer may make an entrance after all, I am writing about teaching and leading our kids to live a healthy lifestyle by example. I have to say that I made it a major priority in my parenting years to exercise and play "with" my kids (my two great boys) throughout their lives. It all started as soon as they were both old enough to fit safely in their red jogger stroller and then on the back of my bike in their safe bike seat. Off they'd go with me on our morning runs or rides throughout the trails in the greater Chicagoland area. I wish I would have had a SportsBaby way back then.

Now they are both grown, college co-eds. I realized this past week as they both called me, and texted me, that my example of making exercise and play time a part of our everyday life "together" did make a big impact on them both. Both of my sons participate and play many sports, which is also key. Cross-training and enjoying many activities keeps it fun and fresh.

My oldest son, a junior in college, has taken up mountain biking -- I love it! He has a Specialized mountain bike, which he will enjoy for years to come. He takes time out of his school schedule to get out and ride several times a week. He loves his new bike, the beautiful trails he gets to explore, spending time with family and friends he rides with and the exercise he gets from it (cardio, strength training). When I talked to him on the phone yesterday, he told me about the beautiful trail he went out on with his cousin. The quakies, the sun getting ready to set, the great trail and the good workout. I sit back with a big grin on my face. I taught him and led him to live an active, healthy lifestyle by my example.

Now my youngest son who just finished his freshman year in college, texted me this week to tell me he was heading to the gym to workout. Then he said he couldn't wait. Doing his cardio, strength training, stretching is all a part of his gym workouts. Once again I got a big grin on my face. Again I realized my leading by example has been well worth it. I taught him and led him to live an active, healthy lifestyle by my example. Teaching and leading by example is key.

I know all those years of playing and exercising together with my two children, now grown, has taught them both to love their exercise and play time (outdoors and indoors) year round. They both know the big part exercise plays in staying healthy. It is a way of life for them, and a great gift they too will pass onto their own children one day. I believe it is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children.

So, please cherish the precious time you have with your children as they grow up. Teach and lead them by example in leading an active, healthy lifestyle....they will pass it on down. Now's the perfect time to start with summer here. So many outdoor fun activities to do together. Bring your SportsBaby along with your little tiny ones (I wish I would have had a SportsBaby for my boys). Remember www.onboardoutfitters.com and go play together.

PS: Tomorrow I am mountain biking with my son. He will be leading me by his example. What goes around, comes around...

SportsBaby(TM), a Healthy Way of Life

Spring has sprung, and all us outdoor enthusiasts are coming out of hibernation, finally. I was outside today, and enjoyed watching many cyclists, runners, walkers, golfers, tennis players taking full advantage of the beautiful weather. Five o'clock came, and trails became full of fitness lovers.

I was keeping my eye out for moms and dads with their babies, but there were few and far between. That's what we are missing - getting more moms and dads out there to enjoy fitness together (with their backpack carriers, jogger strollers AND our SportsBaby(TM) carriers). We, as a population, have been so used to exercising by ourselves or with friends; not with our families.

I want to emphasize the importance of exercising with our families, together, from the time our babies are only a couple months old on. It is such an opportunity to bond emotionally with our children, and it gives us time together to enjoy taking care of ourselves. And, we are teaching our children to love being outside, love exercising and love being healthy; a healthy way of life.

Our SportsBaby(TM) brand represents not only our SportsBaby(TM) products, but also a healthy way of life, a way for parents to bond and be with their babies while they exercise, play outdoors and practice being healthy together. Start living the SportsBaby(TM) way of life, bring ing baby along to live your healthy lifestyle, together. SportsBaby(TM) at www.onboardoutfitters.com is the way to a healthy family lifestyle. Come on an start living your SportsBaby(TM) way of life.

Springtime Fun With SportsBaby™

I’m happy to say it’s the month of April. YES, spring will come! That means more outdoor activities will come for all you moms and dads out there. Oh, there were plenty of fun activities to do with baby in cold, winter weather (walks, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, building snowmen, etc.).

However, I LOVE SPRINGTIME, and the hope of warmer weather. I also LOVE all the outdoor activities that come with warmer weather.

This week I thought I’d share a few of them with you. I hope you’ll all get your SportsBaby on, and join in the outdoor fun with your babies!!

Here’s my list of fun:

1) Go for a fun walk outside with SportsBaby. Babies love being social, and watching all the people. Plus you’ll get good, fresh air and exercise.

2) Go for an energizing hike (safely though, right?).

3) Do a fast-paced speed walk outside with your SportsBaby.

4) Check out the nearest zoo in your area (it is the best). Your baby will love it, too, especially in his/her Leopard-print SportsBaby!

5) If you’re lucky enough to live by the beach, get out there for a walk in the sand, build a sand castle, dig for sandcrabs, check out the tide pools, watch for passing whales heading up north for the summer months, all with your SportsBaby.

6) Hit the stream or lake for some fishing fun (even fly fishing with SportsBaby).

7) Go to a fun playground and park, then have a yummy picnic with SportsBaby.

8) Visit your museums, then go outside and have a picnic, of course with your SportsBaby.

9) Check out the outdoor miniature golf courses with your SportsBaby.

10) When it’s warm enough (you’ll know when that is), go to a fun swimming pool, water park, the beach, lake, and have fun in the water with your SportsBaby. Make sure you are very safe, and don’t go in deeper than your waist with your SportsBaby – safety first!

How’s that for a list of fun, outdoor activities you can do with your SportsBaby?

Get onboard with life, and have fun being active, enjoying all that springtime has to offer outside with your baby onboard in your SportsBaby! You will seriously have so much fun together, and build treasured memories of your good times! SportsBaby is your ticket at www.onboardoutfitters.com.

Have a great, active week with your SportsBaby!

SportsBaby(TM) - Be Active and Healthy Together

SportsBaby -- Be Active and Healthy Together

Creating products and fitness programs that help families (parents and their children) be active and healthy together is what SportsBbay(TM) is all about. Our concepts and designs come from my own personal active lifestyle pursuits, which began with my own family when I was a child myself. Yes, the oldest of four, with three younger brothers. I came from a very active, athletic family, indeed.

Training for and completing my first Marathon (running 26.2 miles) "with" my Mom and Dad was a very unique and unforgettable experience for me at the age of 24. I crossed the finish line "with" my Mom and Dad next to me. We trained together, we ran our race together, and we crossed our finish line "together." Together is key here. This is just one example of the countless personal experiences I had growing up with my active, healthy family. This is what SportsBaby's goal is - to encourage all you fabulous parents (Moms AND Dads) to be active with and play outdoors with your children, "together."

Our SportsBaby(TM) carrier is the first product we launched from our SportsBaby(TM) brand line. Of course you can use your SportsBaby carrier for everyday activities. You also have the added bonus of also using it in all your outdoor activities (including both land and water activities) with great ease and comfort. Your baby will thank you someday for including him or her in your active lifestyle. We even have our SportsBabyH2O(TM) fitness programs coming soon - be on the lookout for them!

SportsBaby(TM) = Fun together with baby outdoors. Walking hiking, fishing in a stream, playing in a pool, playing at the beach, on and on, plus everyday use. And, SportsBaby makes traveling with baby so much more comfy, too! Who wouldn't want to have a SportsBaby for their baby? Come on and get onboard with your SportsBaby! Hurry over to www.onboardoutfitters.com! Now go have fun!