Christina Elston
LA Parent
It’s tough to believe that Laila Ali wasn’t into sports as a kid. Anyone who’s seen the Super Middleweight boxing champion, youngest daughter of legendary boxing champ Muhammad Ali, in action would imagine her as a lifelong athlete. But she didn’t take up sports until adulthood, something she says she regrets. So she’s out to share the many benefits of being active with children, recently taking part in the Live Like a Champion Tour staged by the California Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. “It always feels good to inspire and motivate kids,” says Ali, “because they’re like little sponges.” She adds that most kids want to be active, and just need to be pointed in the right direction.
That direction, however, might be different for different kids. If things don’t work out with the first sport your children try, encourage them to try others. “Kids need to realize that we all have our own special gift,” says Ali. She’s a big fan of competitive sports, but realizes that’s not for everyone. “Some people just aren’t competitive, and that makes it hard,” she admits. But with everything from swimming to dance, skating and biking to karate now available, the possibilities for active kids are endless.
And what about boxing? “Boxing is a great form of exercise and a great whole-body workout,” Ali says, but she doesn’t encourage kids in the direction of the ring.
These days, Ali herself gets her exercise through running, spinning, pilates and weight training. “I do a little bit of everything, because for me, I get bored,” she explains. She tries to work out at least four days a week, but admits that as the mom of a 1-year-old, fitting in her workouts can be more of a challenge. “I’m a hands-on mom,” she explains. “I’m not the priority any more.”
Along with physical activity, Ali encourages families to look at their daily diet. “We’re in a time when everything is processed,” she laments. “People don’t even understand what their portion size is supposed to be.” Families, especially children, need to learn to make better food choices. “Eat what’s fresh,” she says. “That means something from the Earth.”
A big focus for Ali is what her family eats in the morning. “The most important meal of the day is breakfast,” she says, and she likes to make sure that meal includes all four food groups, and especially some fruit. “Then whatever happens, at least you know they got in that one good meal.”
If you’re not always able to cook for your family, at least make the best choices you can when getting food on the go. “What you do most of the time counts most,” says Ali. She herself keeps meals on the table by heading into her kitchen for a couple of hours on Sunday to cook for the week. She chops and prepares vegetables, plus a few different kinds of meat and staples like rice and beans, then stores everything in the fridge. “You mess up your kitchen, you clean up your kitchen, and then when you need to eat you can just take out the food and heat it up,” she says.
However you get dinner on the table, and however you fit in your workout, remember that your kids are ready to follow your example. “They only know what we teach them,” says Ali.
