Father-Son Duo Race Together

YMCA fitness employee Don Carter and his 7-year-old son Lucas Carter are running in their first road race together.

Lucas has been asking to do a race with his dad for some time. This past fall, they decided to run in the Y of the North Shore Race Series, and began training.

The pair will run in their first race this Sunday, April 10, in the Ring Around the Neck.

Carter has always stressed the importance of a healthy family home, including exercise and proper nutrition.

Lucas is an energetic and active kid who also swims on the YMCA swim team here in Marblehead, and cannot wait to turn eight so that he can start working out on the fitness floor at Lynch/van Otterloo with his dad.

“Lucas has been asking to run a race for a long time now, and it is exciting to do this together,” said dad Don Carter. “We just bought his new running shoes, and he can’t wait to get all suited up for the race on Sunday.”

To prepare for the race this Sunday, the father-son runners have been running regularly through Marblehead and old town, as well as doing some core exercises and strength training.

Lucas will most likely run the Children’s Fun Run first at 1 p.m., before running in the 5-mile road race with dad at 2 p.m.

“It’s a fantastic bonding opportunity for the two of us to be able to train and run together,” said Carter.

The pair are both first time runners in this course and race series, and will most likely go on to continue running the races in this series together throughout the summer.

Here are some YMCA tips for a healthy family home:

Eating Healthy

Aim for Five Every Day

The delicious crunch of fruits and veggies can be part of every meal and snack your family enjoys throughout the day and is important for your whole family’s health. Stay healthy by reaching for five servings every day.

Choose Your Drinks with Care

A simple way to improve the overall health of your family is to adjust your approach to fluids. Try cutting out drinks with added sugar and focus on adding more water, 100 percent fruit juice and low-fat milk to your family’s diet.

Check the Label

By learning to make sense of the information that all food packages are required to provide, you can begin to make choosing healthier foods a little easier. When shopping, refer to the Nutrition Facts label.

Control Your Portions

Sure, we all overeat from time to time, but by being careful to serve food portions that are aligned with your family’s energy needs is one way to help everyone eat and be healthier.

Play Every Day

Families at Play for an Hour a Day

Playful movement is one of the keys to a healthy family home. It doesn't matter what you choose to do. As long as your arms and legs are moving, it's good for you. To get 60 minutes of activity throughout your day just add ten minutes here and fifteen minutes there. It adds up and it all counts, so get playing!

Turn It Up a Notch

Several times each week, spend a little more energy while moving. Try to engage in vigorous activities at least three times each week for 20 consecutive minutes. Don’t worry if five or ten minutes leaves you feeling wiped out at first. Small steps will get you there, so don’t overdo it. When the play stops feeling good, take a break.

Sleep Well

The More the Better

New and interesting research is showing us that getting the proper amount of restful sleep every night is a critical component of a healthy childhood. Based on their age, children need different amounts of sleep. Doctors recommend between 10 and 12 hours per day for kids between the ages of 5 and 12, and even more if they are younger. When children do not get enough sleep it can cause moodiness, behavioral and cognitive problems that impact their ability to learn in school. Additionally, recent studies have found links between sleep and obesity in children. It may seem strange, but the more hours that kids sleep the less likely they are to develop an unhealthy weight.

Make Rest Your Priority Too

Sleep isn’t just important for kids. Restful sleep has important short- and long-term health benefits for adults including a role in maintaining a healthy immune system, metabolism, mood, memory, learning and other vital functions. Researchers are also beginning to point toward the benefits of sleep in preventing heart disease and other chronic conditions. The good news is that getting the sleep we need can keep us both healthy and happy.

Learn more at www.ymca.net/healthy-family-home.