Recently, a mother of two boys asked me “I know it’s important that my kids get outdoors but I can’t find a way to motivate them… What can I do?”

It turns out she had recently read my article about Vitamin N (if you haven’t checked it out, it’s probably a good idea to give it a read first…) and she was really concerned about her 11 and 13-year-old sons, who typically preferred to stay indoors playing more sedentary games and usually put up a fight when presented with outdoor options… Especially in the heat of the summer.

If you’re a parent of ‘tweens (that’s 8-12) maybe you can relate too. This seems to be a fairly common concern when their interest in nature and the outside world gets replaced with iPhone’s and Xbox’s.

Incidentally, did you know that research demonstrates the majority of a child’s lifelong health habits are formed by the age of 12?

Healthy TV | Episode 053

Last week we covered Part 2 of the best Nature Trails in Kanata.  On today’s episode, I cover the beautiful Shirley’s Bay area.

Our monthly challenge for the month of  July was to get your weekly dose of Vitamin N… Did you get yours this week?

Healthy TV | Episode 052

Last week we covered Part 1 of the best Nature Trails in Kanata.  On today’s episode, I cover a whole network of excellent trails for both hiking and mountain biking:  South March Highlands.

Our monthly challenge for the month of  July was to get your weekly dose of Vitamin N… Did you get yours this week?

Healthy TV | Episode 051

Our monthly challenge for the month of July was to get your weekly dose of Vitamin N… Did you get yours this week?

To help, I’m going to release a Vlog every week this month with the best trails around Kanata along with my favourites in Gatineau Park.

For a complete list of Kanata trails, check out this post!

Kanata Nature Trails 

Just like we have a genetic requirement for getting 7-9hrs of sleep per night, consuming a diet of real food, getting lots of daily movement, maintaining a healthy structure, and having deep, meaningful relationships, our genes (and by extension, our physiology) literally have a requirement to spend time in nature.

Here’s a short clip from my week 1 excursion, a trailhead literally 10 minutes from Kanata!

Let me know what you think by commenting below!

Dr. John MacPhee is a Chiropractor, speaker and passionate health and wellness expert. He has inspired thousands of people to take control of their own health using the Life By Design method. Dr. John is co-owner of The Wellness Group, the largest Life By Design Certified Chiropractic office in Canada. Apart from full-time practice, John maintains a busy speaking schedule, with a particular emphasis on improving productivity and focus at work. Otherwise, you can find John training hard at CrossFit 613, exploring Gatineau Park, or holed away studying the latest research at various cafes across the west end.