Train Like A Kid
Step 3: Less screen time more green time
By Douglas Pieterse, Co-Founder & Head Personal Trainer
"It may be simple but not always easy"
Digital is taking over the world and one day aliens and computers will be in control using humans as a fuel source and entertainment. But your kids will be ok… with their limited screen time their minds were not polluted with too much Peppa Pig and instead they spent their time outdoors. Damn good advice.
While we know technology has only begun gaining momentum and we don’t want to keep our kids back in the digital age there is an absolute benefit to having limited screen time.
Netflix has its place in our house but given the choice between the next Harry Potter film or pretending to be Messi at the World Cup final in Tung Chung Park, the boys will miss my last few words as they run out the door with their soccer ball under their arm and shoe laces untied.
Along with the fitness benefits of running around like a lunatic for a couple of hours there is also a social aspect that can be enjoyed. Which you typically cannot experience by hibernating in your dark cave and binging on your favorite tv series. Exercise and social interactions plays a huge part in driving up your happy hormones (endorphins, dopamine & serotonin) and helps keep you from getting stuck in a depressive cycle. Another benefit of staying active is your body will be primed for recovery, which leads me onto the next chapter
Netflix has its place in our house but given the choice between the next Harry Potter film or pretending to be Messi at the World Cup final in Tung Chung Park, the boys will miss my last few words as they run out the door with their soccer ball under their arm and shoe laces untied.
Along with the fitness benefits of running around like a lunatic for a couple of hours there is also a social aspect that can be enjoyed. Which you typically cannot experience by hibernating in your dark cave and binging on your favorite tv series. Exercise and social interactions plays a huge part in driving up your happy hormones (endorphins, dopamine & serotonin) and helps keep you from getting stuck in a depressive cycle. Another benefit of staying active is your body will be primed for recovery, which leads me onto the next chapter
While we know technology has only begun gaining momentum and we don’t want to keep our kids back in the digital age there is an absolute benefit to having limited screen time.
Netflix has its place in our house but given the choice between the next Harry Potter film or pretending to be Messi at the World Cup final in Tung Chung Park, the boys will miss my last few words as they run out the door with their soccer ball under their arm and shoe laces untied.
Netflix has its place in our house but given the choice between the next Harry Potter film or pretending to be Messi at the World Cup final in Tung Chung Park, the boys will miss my last few words as they run out the door with their soccer ball under their arm and shoe laces untied.
While we know technology has only begun gaining momentum and we don’t want to keep our kids back in the digital age there is an absolute benefit to having limited screen time.
Along with the fitness benefits of running around like a lunatic for a couple of hours there is also a social aspect that can be enjoyed. Which you typically cannot experience by hibernating in your dark cave and binging on your favorite tv series. Exercise and social interactions plays a huge part in driving up your happy hormones (endorphins, dopamine & serotonin) and helps keep you from getting stuck in a depressive cycle. Another benefit of staying active is your body will be primed for recovery, which leads me onto the next chapter.
Better sleep!!!
My two-miniature human social experiments are not playing on their iPad before bed time and the television is not a thing in our household during the week. This means they see less blue light right before bed. The result is better sleep. Especially given the research that has shown that blue light can affect your sleep cycle by dampening your body’s natural melatonin production.
Along with avoiding screen time at home, you might also see people that workout with their phones. Sure, Hong Kong is a place where our work ethic rivals that of an any army but consistently checking your phone while trying to workout lowers the intensity you put forth. Take that 1 hour of training time as your “me time” and avoid your phone at all costs. This way you can focus on what you are doing and then deal with your ‘real life’ post workout. I can only imagine what the other kids would say if the goalies let a ball get past him while he was responding to a text (if it were my kids it would most likely be the M-word).
So, don’t be a moron and keep your phone at bay. If you need some assistance in flushing your phone down the toilet then feel free to come up and see us at R3 Personal Training. Not only do we specialize at mobile disposals we also provide completely tailored training programs and lifestyle advice to get you on the road to real, relevant, results.
Along with avoiding screen time at home, you might also see people that workout with their phones. Sure, Hong Kong is a place where our work ethic rivals that of an any army but consistently checking your phone while trying to workout lowers the intensity you put forth. Take that 1 hour of training time as your “me time” and avoid your phone at all costs. This way you can focus on what you are doing and then deal with your ‘real life’ post workout. I can only imagine what the other kids would say if the goalies let a ball get past him while he was responding to a text (if it were my kids it would most likely be the M-word).
So, don’t be a moron and keep your phone at bay. If you need some assistance in flushing your phone down the toilet then feel free to come up and see us at R3 Personal Training. Not only do we specialize at mobile disposals we also provide completely tailored training programs and lifestyle advice to get you on the road to real, relevant, results.
Have you read the other articles in our Train Like A Kid series?
Step 1: How to be happy without compromising your fitness
Step 2: How to balance your nutrition without using a tight rope
Step 1: How to be happy without compromising your fitness
Step 2: How to balance your nutrition without using a tight rope
