I want to do the couch to 5k with dd12 but she is really resistant

[Gargamel1975]

Dd12 has a bit of weight to lose (mix of puberty and going overboard with the school self-service) so we have had an overall with our eating habits and it’s going very well. I want her to do more exercice but she is not keen at all - she wants to do nothing not even going on walk. She says she is very self-conscious...any tips on convincing her ? Any success stories please ?

[OliviaBenson]

You can't. Anything you force her into is going to be counterproductive. Sorry, probably not what you want to hear!

[NC4Now]

Following as I have a similar issue with DS.
Can you get her to a trampoline park?

[Teddybear45]

If she won’t even walk the couch to 5k is unrealistic. Get her walking more first (get her a dog if you think this will make it easier). Best way to do this initially would be going to parks every weekend as a family / making her walk or use public transport to get herself to and from school etc.

Also, if school self-service is the problem then don’t give her money for it and instead pack her fruit in her bag.

[Drum2018]

It's hard to try to push it and not make too much of an issue of the weight at the same time. Has she made reference to her weight herself? Could you just make out that you need to exercise and ask her to help you, keep you company on your walks? I tried the C25k and hated it. Dd and I are going to start walking and maybe add a bit of running (if we don't pass out) but won't commit to the C25k method as I know I won't stick it.

[Gargamel1975]

I have been making her pack lunch for 2 weeks now and i think it really helps - plus no junk in the house. I try so hard to make her go on walk with me but she prefer staying in her pjs :(

[BertieDrapper]

Lets face it, I think we were al like this as kids!! There is no way you'd get me to go for a run or god forbid a walk as a pre teen!!

You need to make it fun!
Think about clubs she could go to... gymnastics, swimming, trampolining, wall climbing. That kind of thing.
Is there any summer activity camps she could go too?

She will prob hate anything at first, bribery might help! But once she makes friends she will prob find she enjoys it x

[Teddybear45]

What would she do if you all went without her and left her alone?

[crumpet]

I recently started C25k (and have just finished), but interestingly both the dc subsequently took it up - they run together and I think are into week 6now. We’re all doing a 5k event this weekend. Perhaps if you started it might encourage her?

[Morgan12]

A dog?
When I was 12 this would have been the only thing to make me go out a walk.

[horseymum]

Some nice active wear?

[HappyParent2000]

I think I did it wrong, I got of the soda and ran 5k.

I don’t recommend that.

[Kungfupanda67]

Swimming, trampoline park, hire a pedalo thing, tennis, bike ride, go ape (tree top climbing places if there’s any near you), kickboxing classes, ice skating.

Why don’t you mention to her about becoming more active and you thought you could try a different thing every few days for a month to find something you like - keep a diary of your month and get her to rate each activity out of 10 and write any comments on what she liked/didn’t like for each. At the end of the month look back and see what was good and what she’d like to do again, or if there’s anything else she’d like to try.

I saw this in a self help book for anxiety and depression as a method to overcome fear of trying new things as well as the depression slump when you just want to stay in bed. Motivation doesn’t come before action, you usually have to force yourself to do something and hope the motivation will follow.