Get Moving on the Importance of Your Kid’s Exercise and Keeping Them Active
You already know how important working out is to your health as an adult, but regular activity is every bit as important to your child’s health and development as it is to your own. Kid’s exercise, however, doesn’t mean packing them off to the sweat-mecca of an actual gym to get their heart pumping – it can be as simple as getting them outside and encouraging them to do what they do best: be a kid.
It’s Activity Time
Unfortunately, with technology keeping today’s kids tied to their screens more often than they are running around like the little Tasmanian devils you know they have the potential to resemble, children have become far less active than they used to be. Consequently, more and more children suffer from obesity and health-related issues like juvenile diabetes and are being primed for future conditions like heart disease, chronic illness, and even cancer.
Simple as it may sound, your children’s wellness is related to the amount that your kids exercise every day. You can try to make sure that you are getting them to eat right and chew up their fruity-flavored children’s vitamins and think that you have done your job, but their activity level is just as crucial as any of those vitamins for children you dose out on the regular.
Think Like a Kid
As you work with your child to put more activity into their day, think about their interests and find ways to appeal to them. Children have a natural affinity for playtime, so make their time exercising focused on fun. If you base their foundation for fitness on playing, you will have an easier time keeping them moving and can start implementing more regimented activity as they get older.
Kids don’t have long attention spans to focus on one particular activity for extended periods of time. Try things like interspersing walks to school or to the playground with short sprints, or encourage them to pick things up along your route to slip in some squats. Those little reps squeezed in here and there will add up, and you won’t be having to fight to keep them focused on busting out a certain amount of reps and sets.
Sneaker-Time Sneaks
Just like you might be sneaking veggies into their food when they’re not looking, you can also sneak exercise into your child’s day without them realizing it’s exercise. Set up fun obstacle courses and play sets in the backyard or take them to the playground to climb around and burn off their excess energy. Teach them to swim and let them explore their inner fish. Encourage the interest they show in a sport or activity, and they’ll want to keep on doing it – which translates into more movement and a healthier kid.
Be Playful
Even if you’re not an official coach for your kid’s little league team, you can still be a team player by being right there with them at playtime. Play with them and lead by example. The more you play, the more they’ll want to play with you.
The Ups and Downs of Childhood
You may not want your kids climbing the walls in the figurative sense, but wall climbing can be a good thing when it’s in the literal sense – at least, when it’s not your walls they are climbing. Climbing rock walls, jungle gyms, ropes, and trees are all great methods of exercise that kids love to do without much prompting.
When what comes up must come down, falls can happen; and kids fall more often than that oversized worry-cloud you have as their parent might like. Teaching them how to jump, handle a fall, and tumble properly can help them avoid injury if they fall accidentally; so work with them to teach them the art of falling.
Balance is also key for everyday function as well as in any kind of athletic activity, so set up balance beams and show them how to stay walking strong.
Let your kid be a kid, and they will naturally learn how to exercise. As you focus on getting them ready for the classroom this year, get your little ones recess-ready, as well; and take advantage of your Ask Everwell consultation to get personalized advice on keeping your children active and healthy.
Exercise your child’s interest in healthy activities! Call Everwell Specialty Pharmacy to schedule your Ask Everwell consultation with our team of experts and get recommendations on kids’ exercise today!