Helping your kids to appreciate fitness and exercise doesn't have to be that hard, and the benefits are tremendous - just think: you might even get into shape while helping them! With the increase in child obesity and juvenile type 2 diabetes, it's important for parents or guardians to assist  kids in appreciating exercise and developing life long weight and fitness goals. Here are 3 tips you can use to help your kids appreciate fitness and exercise.

· Model The Desired Behavior
· Mentor and Teach Proper Technique
· Give Encouragement and Motivate

Model The Desired Behavior
Kids are watching their parents and those they look up to, whether they realize it or not. The kids are learning a lot just from observing those around them on a day to day basis; they're very observant and are watching everything and everybody all the time. Those people important to them are able to influence them a great deal. Sometimes that influence can be constructive and sometimes it's not. Parents in particular have a tremendous amount of influence on their kids. One way to help your kids understand the importance of healthy eating and a regular exercise routine is by eating healthy and exercising yourself. When the kids see you doing a regular exercise program and suggesting they do it too, a synergy between your words and actions will help to influence their behavior.

Mentor and Teach Proper Technique
Take the kids under your wing and graciously explain details and proper technique in a fitness routine. Don’t take for granted that your kids understand the how or why of healthy eating and exercise programs; they may not. If you’re patient and caring, it will come across to them, and this will go along way toward gaining their cooperation. If you don’t know all there is to know about healthy eating and exercise, get some books on the subjects and learn about it. If the kids pose questions you don’t have answers to, don't be afraid to say you don't know and let them know you'll come up with the answers. In the meantime, you can invite them to join you in your favorite activity or exercise routine and teach them the ropes. But watch out, because before too long, you might have to keep up with them!

Give Encouragement and Motivate
The root of motivation is the desire to answer a question, and that answer is what propels people to keep going, no matter how challenging the activity. Probably the single most consistent question kids ask while growing up is “why”; this is good in terms of motivation. If your kids know the benefits to healthy eating in terms they can understand and relate to, they will be motivated to participate. If they don’t understand why they must do an exercise program on a regular basis, then they will have no motivation to do so. But give them the motive and watch out! Their boundless energy can provide a great result. Motivation doesn’t have to be self-centered either; it can be about something or someone else. Motivation can come in many forms, and when you find your kid’s center of motivation; you will be able to relate healthy eating and exercise in terms they will understand.