Dr. Rob’s Guide to Raising Fit Kids
A Family-Centered Approach to Achieving Optimal Health
Robert S. Gotlin, DO (Dr. Rob)
Publication Date: July 2008
Price: $16.95
ISBN 13: 978-0-9793564-3-8
Trade Paperback: 176 pages
Size: 7 x 9 inches
Includes Menu Plans, Exercise Guidelines, Resources
Family & Children / Health & Fitness
Dr. Rob’s Guide to Raising Fit Kids emphasizes that fitness in children is a family issue, and that parents and children need to work together if the children are to achieve optimal health and live a longer, more rewarding life. Because it is impossible to discuss fitness in children without addressing the increasingly important problem of childhood obesity, issues of maintaining or achieving optimal weight are integral every step along the way.
It’s not just about food; it’s about how kids and their families spend their time. Dr. Rob Gotlin sees sports as the route to physical, psychological, and social health. He coaches many children’s teams, because he believes that participation in sports teaches kids basic coordination skills, the rules and how to play by them, thoughtfulness, concern for others, useful experiences in winning and losing, and the satisfaction of giving one’s best for a joint goal. These values are reflected throughout the book.
Special features of this book that make it a must-read for all parents include:
- Fitness guidelines for kids of every age
- Choosing the right sport for your child
- Choosing the right equipment for every sport and at every age. For each sport,
- Healthy meal plans and sports menus that don’t look like a diet
- Menu planning linked to sports
- Provides information on caloric needs for children of all ages and weights
- Eating for optimal sports performance
- Staying in shape: Exercises for Kids
- Advice for Coaches: The Parent Partnership
- Keeping kids safe while they have fun
- Alcohol, Drugs, and More
- Ask Dr. Rob: Common Questions About Fitness in Kids
- Child-Friendly Recipes Good Enough for the Whole Family
CONTENTS
Introduction; Fitness Is a Family Affair: Raising Fit Kids in an Expanding World; Staying in Shape: Exercises for Kids; Sports for Children, Ages 6–12; The Right Equipment for Every Sport; Advice for Coaches: The Parent Partnership; Keeping Our Kids Safe While They Have Fun: A Guide to Common Injuries and How to Manage Them; A Few Very Important Words about Alcohol, Drugs, and Other Threats to the Safety of Kids; Meal Plans and Sports Menus for Kids Who Think They Hate Healthy Foods; Child-Friendly Recipes That Are Good for the Whole Family; Ask Dr. Rob: Common Questions about Fitness in Kids; Where Do We Go from Here, Dr. Rob?. Appendices: Resources,Weight/Volume Equivalents for the Major Food Groups.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Dr. Robert S. Gotlin is the Director of Orthopaedic and Sports Rehabilitation in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. His practice includes orthopaedic, sports, and spine rehabilitation.
Dr. Gotlin frequently appears on radio, television, and in print. He hosts The Dr. Rob Says…Sports Health and Fitness Show, which airs every Saturday morning on 1050 ESPN Radio. The show reviews health-related topics and offer expertise on sports and fitness-related issues. In particular, controversial topics related to youth sports and youth development are detailed with point-counterpoint discussions among listeners and select experts. He has also been guest host for television’s ABC Now - Healthy Living, a daily television program that features breaking medical news and practical health advice.
He has served on the medical team for the New York Knickerbockers (NBA Basketball) the New York Liberty (WNBA Basketball), and consulted for the New York Yankees (MLB Baseball) and New Jersey Nets (NBA Basketball). He is the Team Physician for the Harlem Wizards Basketball team and a member of the medical team for Woman’s Rugby, U.S National Team.
Praise for Dr. Rob’s Guide to Raising Fit Kids
As parents, don’t we wish children came with instruction booklets? In the area of fitness, Gotlin has truly answered this call…Jewels of the publication are sections outlining how children at different stages of development deal with issues in team sports. He also includes a section outlining how to choose equipment for the young sports enthusiast. For example, how to choose a tennis racket for a six year old. (Who knew there were guidelines? Certainly not the people at the athletics store)…great information about the childhood diet, with menus and healthy recipes (my kids loved the healthier Mac and Cheese recipe). It is very much a worthy read.
- eallen8 | May 20, 2008 | Library Thing
This is an extremely helpful book for parents trying to keep their children fit and healthy in a world that advertises every kind of junk food imaginable and offers lots of sedentary fun (video games, television, computers, etc.). Dr. Rob gives great suggestions for parents, such as helping children choose a sport, buying the right equipment, weight training and stretching for children, nutrition, and the parent/coach relationship. Some of my favorite aspects of the book include the suggestions that Dr. Rob gives to coaches and overzealous parents (sports are supposed to be fun), not all sports are appropriate for all kids (would the child like to be on a team or learn a more individualized sport), and the menus and recipes…
This is a fun book to read and is just the right length. It is not a long and complex tome about childhood health. Instead, most parents can scan this book and put the ideas into practice fairly easily. I would like to see more information about the younger kids, though. What do you do about an overweight toddler? Maybe Dr. Rob will consider that for his next book? In the meantime, I recommend this one.
- GaylesStuff | May 20, 2008 | Library Thing
When my oldest was young I was pretty clueless about how to get on a team and what was expected for equipment, practices, etc. I had no idea what sports injuries were common or how to avoid them. I thought I knew about good nutrition but had no idea how to get him to eat a balanced diet. Dr. Rob addresses all these issues in this volume in an easy, conversational, helpful style. I feel much better prepared to be the team mom this time around.
…My favorite chapters are the ones on what sports equipment you will need for different sports, the exercise guide, the descriptions and treatment for common injuries, and the meal plans. There are some yummy recipes using fresh, healthy ingredients put into diet plans in categories like “World Series Game” and “NBA Finals.”
I highly recommend this book for families with kids and coaches working with kids in sports programs. Good, balanced advice in an easily accessed format.
- cloudscome | May 19, 2008 | Library Thing
Not a diet book, not an exercise manual, this is a family guide to all-around fitness. While there is healthy eating advice, this direct, simple book is more concerned with encouraging activity and wellness for the whole family. Specific areas include casual activity; focused sports proper techniques, equipment, and concerns for younger athletes; coaching and motivation; safety; and youth substance abuse prevention. Healthy diet for active lifestyles is substantially covered as well, in simple, basic terms with specific examples and sample menus and choices.
There is a positive message that every family can find ways to improve their overall wellness together, without coercion or pain…
The psychological, nutritional, and medical advice all seem sound and up-to-date (which is to be expected given the author’s background, but which is nevertheless gratifying given how much misinformation is frequently published in other works).Overall I recommend this as an excellent addition to the home, school, or public library.
- LeesyLou | May 7, 2008 | Library Thing
Overall I thought this was a very good book with a lot of useful information…I really appreciated Dr. Rob’s perspective that if we are to have fit and healthy kids, we have to do it as a family – parents must model the behavior changes they want to see in their children. We home school our two children and physical fitness is definitely a family issue for us. The book is full of excellent ideas and suggestions, along with helpful information about safety and necessary equipment for different sports… I really appreciated the important information on things such as; how to correctly fit athletic shoes, how to avoid common injuries, and the glycemic index and protein gram charts. Altogether, a worthwhile book… :
- bbkim | May 5, 2008 | Library Thing
Dr. Rob’s Guide to Raising Fit Kids is a good guide that covers a variety of topics, both physical and psychological. It covers good ways to approach touchy subjects, both with children and other adults in their lives. It includes extensive information on meal planning and general health, and even covers common injuries in children, their symptoms, and their treatment.
I was especially appreciative of his perspective on how to encourage children and help them solve problems they may encounter in team sports. It also has a large section for being and dealing with coaches, with keen insights into how a child thinks, and how to turn a difficult situation into a positive one.
I would certainly recommend this book, and I plan to pass my copy along to my brother, who is a girls’ soccer coach
-erissian | May 1, 2008 | Library Thing