Keeping your child active and active as a family does not come naturally to most parents. With our hectic and busy social lives, making time for our kids is difficult. That is why it is vital to schedule time to keep them active and fit. Keeping your child active doesn’t mean enrolling them in a sports league or forcing them to attend physical education classes.
It means incorporating physical activities into your day, so your child gets some movement every day.
You can keep your child active by incorporating daily physical activities into your day.
- Children who engage in outdoor physical activities often develop better spatial awareness and navigation skills.
- Frequent movement, like hopping or skipping, can boost lymphatic circulation, aiding detoxification in kids.
- Regular physical activity in childhood can improve the gut microbiome, promoting long-term digestive health.
- Activities that combine movement with patterns, like dance, can enhance neural connections related to memory and learning.
- Exercise in nature has been shown to reduce stress hormone levels in children more effectively than indoor activities
The most important thing you can do to keep your child active is to make sure you spend time with them daily. For these reasons, you must keep your youngster active throughout the day.
Advantages of Keeping Child Active
Physical exercise may help prevent or lessen the occurrence of health disorders. Using a weighing scale may also help you monitor your child’s weight.
The following are some additional advantages of keeping your youngster active.
- Instead of storing calories as body fat, physical activity helps to burn them.
- It helps to keep blood sugar levels manageable. With diabetes or at risk of developing the condition, it is essential.
- Low blood pressure and cholesterol levels are achieved.
- It aids in the strengthening of bones and muscles.
- Strengthen their body and increase endurance.
- Sleep and mental health are improved
- Increases self-esteem by empowering children to feel good about their bodies and attractiveness.
Reduce Screen Time of Your Child
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children aged 8 to 18 should restrict their screen time outside school to 1 to 2 hours per day, including watching television and movies, playing computer games, or playing video games.
Two out of every three youngsters have a TV in their room. Compared to children who do not have a television in their room, these youngsters spend around 1.5 hours more watching television. According to health authorities, television viewing in children’s bedrooms should be prohibited.
You usually sit down when you’re in front of a computer screen. Limit your screen time to set a positive example for your children.
There are several ways to make your time on the computer more active.
- During commercials, encourage your youngster to do jumping jacks.
- People may also stand or jog on the spot when playing video games.
- Some video games even involve little physical exercise, which is unusual for this genre. They can imitate dance moves, bowling, tennis, and other sports. Dance, bowl, or play tennis with your friends to pump your blood.
How To Keep Your Children Engaged in Exercises?
Children 6 years old and older engage in physical exercise for at least 60 minutes daily, if not more. It does not have to be finished in a single sitting. They can be busy many times in a single day. Children, like adults, need three forms of physical activity.
Aerobics
They should engage in various exercises that include aerobic activities that help to build muscle and improve bone. Some activities may be classified as many types of physical exercise recommended.
Increased heart rate and heart and lung strength are two benefits of aerobic exercise (often known as “cardio”).
The following are examples of aerobic activities:
- Skateboarding
- Rollerblading
- Running
- Hiking
- Dancing
- Riding a bicycle
- Swimming
- Playing basketball
Muscle Developing Activities
Muscle strengthening accomplishes muscular development and maintenance. It helps to maintain equilibrium.
Examples include:
- Climbing
- Gymnastics
- Push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups
Bone Bolstering Activities
It is crucial for the development and maintenance of healthy bones. Hence, it is essential to engage in bone strengthening activities. Examples include:
- Running
- Dancing
- Jumping the rope
- Playing basketball, soccer, tennis, or volleyball.
How To Keep the Whole Family Engaged in Physical Activities?
Fortunately, there are things to participate in for everyone who wants to keep active. Try a variety of activities to determine which ones your youngster enjoys. Find enjoyable activities to do as a family.
Make Teams
Encourage your youngster to take part in physical activities with a team or a group. Soccer, kid’s baseball, gymnastics, and dancing are examples of activities under this category. Your child’s social skills will improve because of being on a team.
Match Your Child’s Playing Style
Remember that some children like sports, while others are not interested in competing. For example, you may prefer a group game such as catch or hide & seek. Learn more about what feels suitable for YOUR kid’s personality and adapt it accordingly.
It’s OK for your youngster to play alone now and again—this aids in his development of self-reliance.
Adopt A Useful Lifestyle As A Style Icon For Your Youngster
Make active family trips a priority. Encourage him to see how well you’re getting into the game by telling him. When your kid is small, you may put him in a stroller and let him run about while you are out and about. It is also feasible to incorporate physical exercise into your family’s lifestyle by celebrating with action.
Instead of rewarding your youngster with food, let him choose an activity on their own.
Takeaway
Overweight or obese children and adolescents are becoming more common. Your youngster must maintain an active lifestyle. Ideally, this is a lesson that you should instill in your children early. Remember that you are a role model for your kid; they will model their behavior after yours.
Even though playing video games with physical activity is preferable to sitting motionless, they count as screen time. Make your youngster practice the moves in actual life instead of on paper. Active play is a fantastic technique to get your child moving.
Active play is when you take a brief break from household tasks to play together. It might be as easy as catching a ball or as inventive as making homemade toys.