fat child playing videogames on the couch with a soda

Nearly 1 of 5 kids and adolescents in the US are overweight or obese. This can lead to significant, lifelong diseases. As a parent, you’re the one who is responsible to protect your child from those diseases and teach them to take care of their health. For this, there are many things you can do. A balanced diet and plenty of physical activity are essential for your kid’s well being. Martial Arts is a great way to help your kids develop a healthy lifestyle if they’re overweight.


How Can I Tell if My Child is Overweight?

Kids grow at different rates and different times, and there are a variety of factors that can influence body fat such as age, gender, genetics, and more.. Therefore, it might be difficult for you to tell if your kid is overweight or just in a normal process of changing their body on their way of growing up.

One way to find out is to calculate your kid’s body mass index, also known as BMI. It measures your child’s body weight in relation to their height and can be calculated by yourself or your doctor. On the internet, you can find different calculators, like the one provided by CDC.

The main BMI categories for kids and teenagers according to the CDC are as following:


BMI clip art with scientifc and health elements5th to 84th percentile = healthy weight

85th to 94th percentile = overweight

95th percentile or higher = obese


If your kid has a BMI higher than the 85th percentile, you should definitely start thinking about some changes. Your kid is likely to experience bullying and serious health issues if you’re not reacting now.


Why Should I Be Concerned?

Being overweight or obese is something you should be worried about as it brings a high risk of health issues with it. There are several diseases caused by excess weight that can affect the immediate and long-term health and wellbeing of your kids, including diabetes, heart diseases, bone problems, asthma, cancer, and osteoarthritis. Overweight or obese kids are also likely to get bullied by other kids which can affect their mental health significantly.


How Can I talk With my Kids About Being Overweight?

No matter if your kid is overweight or not, in any case, it’s important to talk with them about a healthy weight. Having good weight management is important for every kid and their future.

As a parent, it’s your job to initiate the conversation and give examples of healthy and unhealthy habits. Try to keep the focus on health and wellbeing rather than your kids weight in order to make them not feel uncomfortable with their body shape as it can lead to poor self-esteem.


little girl in martial arts outfit and a blue belt striking a stanceHow Martial Arts Can Help Lose Weight Effectively

It doesn’t matter what kind of shape your kid is when starting with martial arts. At Sovereign Martial Arts everyone is learning at their own pace and improving themselves. When it comes to losing weight, it’s important not to be too hard with your kids. Find something they have fun with and can lose weight with as a side effect, like martial arts. Cardiovascular training is a big component of any weight loss routine. It helps burn extra calories and increases the metabolism of your kid which promotes fat burning. In our classes, there are many highly-entertaining cardiovascular exercises that will help your kid lose weight.

With all the kicks and punches all muscle groups are worked properly, ensuring they’ll become stronger than before. Depending on the intensity of the workout, a martial art class can burn between 500 and 2000 calories!


How Can I Help My Child To Develop Healthy Habits?

Developing healthy habits and losing weight is a process. You have to support your kid properly to assure they don’t give up halfway through their journey. Therefore, you can do different things!

1. Set goals: Setting specific goals helps your kids to understand what they’re working towards. In martial arts, this can be the next belt, a competition or some new skills.

2. Encourage healthy eating habits:wooden cutting board with vegetables, beans and eggs on top of it Try to remove unhealthy temptations from the fridge and your food storage. Also, think about how you can make your child’s favorite dishes healthier. For example: use whole grain instead of wheat products and buy milk products with reduced fat.

3. Get to the gym: Make sure your kids are exercising. A regular routine helps a lot to develop the necessary discipline.

4. Be a good example: Support your kid in what they are doing and try changing your health habits too. Eat well, get enough sleep and exercise with your kid. Show them that you want to go on that journey with them together.

5. Get the whole family involved: It will be way easier for your kids if the whole family gets involved. You can cook healthy food together and get active together.


Sign up your child at Sovereign Martial Arts

Finding a fun activity that gets your kids active is essential in every weight loss journey. Our martial art programs improve your child’s fitness, help them burn calories and makes them feel confident. If you want to get to know more about the courses we offer, we would be happy to hear from you. You can give us a call, send us a Facebook message or an email. The Sovereign family is looking forward to getting to know you!