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How To Encourage Kids To Exercise
When playtime is attainable, it is frequently the highlight of a child's day. Children rush across the park, soaking up the sun's rays as they look for their next hiding place. All of this qualifies as exercise for children.
While it may come easy to some youngsters, many others would rather spend their time browsing through YouTube videos or binge-watching the latest television show. Currently, children are getting as little as 2 hours of activity each week. We believe that parents should start teaching their children about the advantages of exercise at a young age.
Just as we teach children at a young age about what kind of food we should eat to be healthy. It is never too early to teach the concept that we need to regularly move our bodies to stay healthy as well!
Physically active children have decreased levels of anxiety and depression, as well as improved self-esteem. Physical exercise is also linked to higher grade point averages and standardized test results. However, not all young people have the time or desire to participate in organized sports and their demands vary based on their age and stage of development.
As a result, it's critical for parents to encourage their children to be active. Choose developmentally appropriate activities for their age group, and keep the focus on fun. Also, exercising as a family and making it enjoyable is a terrific approach to keep young children engaged and interested in being physically active.
Get Kids Moving With These Easy Steps!
Make Time for Physical Activity
It's much simpler to prioritize physical activity if you've set out a specified period each day for moving your body. If you can't spare an hour a day, divide the sixty minutes into smaller parts. Schedule time for youngsters to exercise or play outside after school, during a homework break and before supper.
Participate in Exercise with Family or Friends
Even adults prefer working out with others versus working out alone! Find planned or unorganized physical activities for your youngster to participate in with other family members or friends.
Consider joining a young soccer or t-ball team, or invite the kids from the neighborhood over for an hour of unstructured outside play.
Get Assistance with Household Chores
Encourage your children to help with physical indoor or outside jobs like sweeping the floor, watering plants, raking leaves, sweeping the walkways, removing weeds or cleaning the garage! Make chores more enjoyable by playing uplifting music and encouraging everyone to participate in order to do them as a family.
Make a Reward System.
Include physical activity in your everyday routine. Make a sticker chart or set a date on your calendar for physical exercise every day. Allow your children to put a sticker on the chart or a checkmark on the calendar each day they complete their hour of activity. When they have finished the entire week, reward them by allowing them to select a fun activity to do over the weekend. Maybe kids can choose from a few active options, such as going to the park, beach or having a football game in the backyard. There are many possibilities!
Spend More Time Outdoors
Children like spending time outside. Allow your children to play outside as often as possible like taking time to go for walks around the neighborhood, to parks, or to play in the backyard. Outside play allows children to run and climb on jungle gyms, which exercises all of their muscles and can help develop coordination.
Have Toys in Hand that Encourage Physical Activity.
For younger children, have a variety of toys and make sure that they promote physical exercise and are easily accessible. Have balls, jump ropes, bicycles and scooters available.
Walk or Bike Towards Your Nearby Activity Areas.
Allow additional time to travel to nearby activities if possible. If you're going to the beach, park or recreation center, leave several minutes earlier and walk instead of driving. It's an easy method to get extra active minutes in during the day.
Determine Which Activities Are Age Appropriate
Kids might grow frustrated if an activity is too difficult. Make sure your child is participating in age-appropriate physical exercise. Turn animal walking and leaping into a game by testing how quickly youngsters can go from flamingo jumps to bear walks to crab walks to enhance coordination. Jumping jacks and skipping are appropriate activities for five-year-olds.
Encourage Physical Activity
Get your children enthusiastic about being active! Discuss how good it feels to exercise, how it keeps people healthy and how much fun it is. Discuss nutrition and how eating nutritious foods gives us the energy we need to exercise and run about. After they've finished playing in the park or sports practice, ask them what they loved best about the experience and what they're looking forward to doing the next time. Putting a positive spin on physical exercise motivates people to participate again and again!
And lastly, play an active part as a role model!
Instead of viewing physical activity as a duty, frame it as a vital time to care for your body and health. Find activities that you like and engage in them for at least 30 minutes five days a week. When your children witness you having fun while being active, they are more inclined to mimic your behavior.