Anyone saw kids on a playground knows that most are naturally physically active and love to move around. But what may not be apparent is that climbing to the top of a slide or swinging from the monkey bars could help to encourage your kids to get active.
As they get older, it could be a challenge for kids to get enough daily activity. This could be due to:
- increasing demands at school
- a lack of active role models
- a feeling among some kids that they are not good at sports
- busy working families
Even if kids do have the time and the desire to be more active, parents may not feel happy letting them roam the neighborhood as kids did generations ago. So their opportunities to be active may be limited.
In spite of these barriers, parents could teach a love of physical activity and help kids fit it into their everyday lives. Doing so may set healthy patterns that will last into adulthood.
Benefits of Being Active
When kids are active, their bodies may do the things they want and need them to do. Why? As regular exercise provides these benefits:
- strong muscles and bones
- decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes
- healthy weight
- better sleep
- a better outlook on life
Also, physically active kids tend to be motivated, focused, and successful in school. And physical mastering skills builds confidence at every age.
What Motivates Kids?
There is a lot to gain from regular physical activity, but how do you encourage kids to do it? The three keys are:
- Choosing the right exercises for a child’s age:If you don’t, the child may be bored or frustrated.
- Giving kids plenty of opportunities to be active:Kids need parents to make activity simple by providing equipment, signing them up for sports teams, and taking them to playgrounds and other busy spots.
- Keeping the focus on fun:Kids will not do something they don’t like.
When kids like an activity, they want to do more of it. Practicing a skill — whether it is swimming or riding a tricycle — improves their abilities and helps them feel accomplished, or when the effort is noticed and praised. These great feelings often make kids want to maintain the activity and even try others.
The excellent way for kids to get physical activity is by incorporating physical activity into their daily routines. Toddlers andpreschoolersshould play several times a day actively. Children 6 to 17 years should do 60 minutes or more physical activity daily. This could include free play at home, a busy time at school, and participation in classes or organized sports.
Physical education
For healthy lifestyles, children should both free play and specific instruction on physical skills. A quite easy way for kids to meet this goal is by taking part in physical education as part of the school day. In addition to supporting physical education in schools, communities offer classes you can take advantage of, such as swimming or dance lessons. The most important physical education is age-appropriate and fun.
Organized activities
Adults or kids could organize active play. There are many active indoor games such as the dozens of games to play outside — hopscotch, jump rope, dodge ball, Frisbee golf, volleyball, and badminton. Depending on the season, plan trips to a local bowling alley or skating rink. You look into the options provided at your local park district or school for other organized activities.
Competitive athletics
Different children excel at and like different types of activities. Experiment with the team and individual sports and businesses alike — from soccer and baseball to ice skating and martial arts to see which kinds of activity interest children.
Make fitness part of your child’s day
If your children could walk or bike to and from school, they may get many of the mental and physical benefits of being active while you do save on trips to the gas station. You should walk or bike with your kids when you could and organize a neighborhood walking or bicycle-pool when you can not go with them.
Make screen time an active time
When going to play outside is not an option; your children can play interactive video games that require physical activity such as bowling, tennis or baseball. You can use dance videos and active video games for some physically-active television time.
Get help with household chores
Encourage children to participate in active outdoor tasks such as raking leaves, watering plants, pulling weeds, sweeping the walks, or cleaning the garage. Make the duties feel fun with upbeat music, and be sure to join in to get them done as a family.
If possible, try to spend time practicing with your child or come to watch your child practice and encourage him or her. Be encouraged and strengthened when your child reaches a milestone in practice. However, one thing to keep in mind is that you should only watch your child practice or encourage, avoid criticism, judgment, or compare their skills with other children. The reason is that each child has a unique ability, so judging and comparing makes children inhibit, born bored.
Also, when your child has mastered an individual sport, you can slowly guide your child to get acquainted with a new game.
Be an active role model
Present physical activity as an essential time to take care of your body and health, rather than a chore. You should find businesses that you enjoy and be active for at least 30 minutes, five days a week.
Regularly seeing parents playing sports, physical activity will motivate children to exercise. Therefore, it is effortless to understand that growing up in a family where parents are sedentary lifestyle will be challenging to stimulate children to practice sports.
Do not let them exercise too much
Before your child is involved in the exercise, you should tell him or her to say to the teacher or instructor if he or she feels something unusual, dizzy, or too tired. Don’t forget to tell him or her if he thinks If you are bored or something is abnormal, slow down.
During exercise and when your baby’s weight falls below average, she always feels tired, affects learning, talks to her coach, or finds out the reason in detail. If, after a period of exercise that your child’s condition does not improve gradually, you should direct your child to participate in more gentle exercise activities.
Sufficient physical activity and a balanced diet are fundamental to an active, healthy life. As a parent, you should build healthy habits from an early age for your child to have good health in the future.
Thank you for taking the time to read my article. And if you have any questions you need, please feel free to comment under the comment section. We will answer you as soon as possible.
We think you will know how to encourage your kids to be active!
Also, you should readsome articleslike”How to build stronger bones?”, “How to Get Rid Of Bad Breath“, ”How to Stop A Baby from Crying At Night“, and “How to stop hiccups“… to know more!
