Your health is not just something which affects you. While you might think that health is just a personal matter, the way you feel can affect your family as well. Your children look up to you to tell them what is right and what is wrong – and that includes your health. When you take care of yourself, your children will notice and they will begin to do the same. Realizing that your health and your health practices will have an impact on your children can help to motivate you to choose wisely.

Spreading Good Health Genes

There is a link between genes and health. When you take care of your body, the kids you have will inherit your genes, from both parents. While genes are not an absolute predictor of future health in many cases, when you take care of your health, you give your kids the best possible gene history you can. This gene history will include a strong immune system, a lower risk of heart disease, and less chance of cancer. Think of the way you treat your body as another inheritance your children will receive from you, whether they want it or not.

Children Mimic Adults and Adopts Healthy Habits

Children look to their parents to see how they should act in the world. While it might seem as though children are ignoring all that you are saying, they are not. If they see that you are spending hours on the couch watching TV, they will begin to think they need to do the same thing. But if they see that you make time for exercise and that you eat healthy foods, they will do the same. While children are bound to rebel, you can begin to teach them that being healthy is something that is important to you – and that they might want to make their health important.

Everyone Can Be Healthy Together

Together, you can work with your children to teach them about healthy habits and why you do certain things. This way, even when your children are out with their friends who may not have healthy habits, they will be able to make the best decisions possible. Children like to do things which make them feel good, so instilling in them the importance of activity and good foods when they are young will allow them to grow up healthy.

Your health choices will affect the health choices your children make and they will affect how healthy your children are in the future. Each time you want to skip the gym or you want to eat a tub of ice cream, maybe you need to consider what your children think and what they might be learning when they watch you.