A healthy lifestyle can enhance a child’s development, increase their happiness and improve their mental and physical well-being. While there are many components that constitute a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise is certainly one of the most important. How can you help your kids to be more active?
While some kids are naturally active, others prefer more sedentary pastimes, like reading, gaming or watching viral videos online. If it’s a battle to get your kids to exercise, you’ll want to find new ways to encourage them to be more active.
To get started, take a look at these top tips to help your kids sit less and move more.
Leave the Car at Home
One of the easiest ways to get your kids moving is simply to change the mode of transport you use. Instead of relying on your car for short journeys, for example, walk or cycle instead.
For longer journeys, using public transport enables you to incorporate walking or cycling into the route too.
While using a vehicle might be the most convenient option, choosing to walk to your destination ensures that exercise is a part of your regular routine.
Walking or cycling as a form of transport means youngsters will be more focused on where they’re going than on the fact they’re exercising!
Make getting outside even more fun with an electric scooter. Your child can help to develop their co-ordination skills while having fun scooting around in the fresh air.
Let Kids Play After School
The schoolyard can be a fantastic place for kids to play, run around and let off steam. If the site has playground equipment for schools, it will be even easier to encourage your kids to be active after the school day ends.
If your child’s school has an after-school activity club, for example, encourage them to join so that they can take part in games and sports on a regular basis.
Alternatively, let kids play in the schoolyard for as long as possible, either before or after the school day. If there is a park nearby, incorporate this into your route home, so that youngsters have an opportunity to use the equipment and have fun.
Praise Their Skills
Some kids can feel self-conscious when exercising or playing sport, particularly if they’re not naturally athletic. If this applies to your child, be sure to provide consistent praise and positive feedback.
By helping your child to develop a love of exercise from a young age, you can instil healthy habits that will carry them through life.
From cheering from the sidelines when they’re playing in a match to rewarding their progress as they reach new attainment levels, there are endless ways you can provide the positive reinforcement kids need when they try new things.
Make It Fun
If exercise isn’t fun for them, kids won’t want to do it. In fact, the same applies to adults too!
There’s no point trying to force your kids to do something they don’t enjoy. It will turn into a battleground that will make all of your lives more difficult. Instead, help your kids to find some form of physical activity that they do enjoy and integrate it into their schedule.
If football or netball isn’t a favourite, try dance, martial arts, basketball, yoga or cricket. With so many activities aimed at kids, it’s easy to find a variety of options to suit every child.
As most clubs and facilities offer free or low-cost beginner sessions, kids can explore different activities before deciding which ones are right for them.
Do Activities Together as a Family
When you are spending quality time together as a family, choose to do things that require some level of physical activity.
From an evening bike ride during the week, a nature trail on the weekend or a game of catch in the garden, there are numerous ways to inspire your kids to be more active on a day-to-day basis.
If you want to do something special or you’re planning a holiday, be sure to incorporate activities into your schedule.
An outdoor activity centre is a great opportunity to take on an assault course or try your hand at rock climbing, for example, and it gives kids the chance to learn new skills and grow in confidence too.
Make Exercise a Family Priority
As every parent knows, nagging kids rarely leads to a successful outcome! Instead, present your kids with fun activities that happen to involve physical activity.
Choose exercise-based events, activities and adventures that you can enjoy together as a family. By doing so, you can encourage your kids to move more and sit less and improve your own fitness levels at the same time!
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In the age of technology and social media, so many children are missing out on regular physical activity! Great post on an important subject!
Thank you so much and I totally agree! The ‘screen time’ generation is missing out on so much!
My youngest tends to move a lot more when she isn’t at school. She hangs out with friends on their skateboards and scooters at the skate park and has a great time. It’s always easier for us to all get outside and move when the weather is nicer. x