#006 In today's episode, I discuss with a good friend and experienced trail runner, Alan Matthews how important it is to motivate and inspire our children to be active. Throughout our children's younger years, we need to help them engage in outdoor activity and sports to ensure that by the time they are in their late teens they are self-motivated and keeping very health and active lifestyle. Several key takeaways from this discussion for me were:

1) that we should not keep our children from experiencing and having the freedom to explore the outdoors and to be able to take risks. We need to measure the risk against potential benefits, and in many if not most cases, the benefit in general wellbeing outweighs the risk. 

Alan quotes that life is full of risks, and we need to manage them and you should not remove them. 

2) The inspiration for our children come from who they follow and watch on typically channels such as YouTube. It is all about the digital balance to let our children look up to and be inspired. Without the knowledge of what is achievable, then motivation will be missing. As parents, will not know the possibilities without allowing some digital screentime.

Alan is a trail runner and has shared many miles over the hills with his two boys Cameron and Gregor. Two years ago, Alan retired from his Doctors GP practice and to mark it planned an event to share his love of Scotland and an opportunity to enjoy a challenge with his two boys reconnecting with the love of being outdoors sharing experiences. A secondary reason was to raise some money for charitable causes which have been important to Alan during his life as a Doctor. 

Alan planned and ran across the width of Scotland over four days taking in some of the most beautiful landscapes and rugged countryside you will find anywhere in the world. The capturing of the challenge, Run Across Scotland, is an inspiring and motivational film by Fluxvideo and we have linked the thirteen-minute film below. 

Run across Scotland: https://fluxvideo.uk/run-across-scotland-film/

(filmed by Fluxvideo.uk)

If more families could realise the opportunity to share times like this with our children when they are adults I believe it demonstrates that we are focusing on the right things and succeeding to ensure our health and wellbeing of your children.