A couple years ago we cancelled our gym membership as our kids were getting too old for the child care area. Online we found all the basic used equipment we needed to setup a decent home gym. We planted it in the garage and went to work. Going to a well-equipped and air conditioned gym was nice but the added benefit to our garage gym is that our kids showed an interest in working out with us whenever Ana and I hit the weights.
Last fall we got our kids enrolled in Jiu Jitsu they love it and all the extra training we do together at home has helped them substantially. We have seen positive behavior changes including a very enthusiastic work ethic, more self-control at home and very few conflicts. Their confidence levels have skyrocketed and they have learned first hand how hard work pays you back in progress and achievement. Now they are learning Muay Thai as well.
Weight training and conditioning (at their level of course) is a daily thing for them now. They prefer not to eat junk or lots of sugary foods because they see and feel how good food makes them feel when they train. No arguments at bedtime and getting them to drink lots of clear and clean water is never an issue anymore. All of this has had a positive impact on their schooling, their social life, and even their spiritual life. This is part of who they are now and a fit and healthy lifestyle will be how they walk out their lives. Beyond that they are learning the benefits of being challenged, working to overcome challenges, and learning to learn from losses and mistakes as well as shake them off, and move on. Their self-confidence has never been higher, but it is tempered by grace and humility which is perhaps the most appealing trait they have learned.
Kids need to be physical. Being focussed on a fight sport or martial art, and especially Jiu Jitsu, is very good for their physical, mental, and emotional growth. The competitive aspect has presented countless opportunities to exercise their faith and Biblical principles like humility, forgiveness, kindness, self-control, and patience, or what the Bible teaches as good spiritual fruit.
Making that sacrifice and bringing our gym into our home so we could share it with our kids has been a tremendous blessing.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV
