Children, like adults, need physical activity to maintain a healthy lifestyle. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just 50 percent of boys and fewer than 34 percent of girls between the ages of 12 and 15 are physically fit. Furthermore, physically inactive children are at increased risk for cardiovascular and chronic illnesses, as well as psychiatric issues.
Tips for Staying Active With Your Kids: A Parent's Guide
Furthermore, according to a study, 80 percent of overweight toddlers grow up to be obese adults. Among the diseases that are associated with obesity include colon, breast, and endometrial cancers. "Being fat increases one's risk for numerous malignancies," says Carol Harrison, a senior exercise physiologist at MD Anderson.
She believes that children are spending much too much time in front of electronic screens such as televisions, computers, phones, and other electronic devices.
Fortunately, you can make a difference by bucking the norm. By encouraging your children to exercise daily, you can assist them in maintaining a healthy weight and living a healthy lifestyle, which will aid in the prevention of illnesses such as cancer in later years.
Children under the age of six should participate in natural, everyday physical activities such as running, leaping, and skipping. Kids between the ages of 6 and 17 should engage in physical activity at a level that raises their heart rate for at least an hour per day, five days a week.
Harrison offers ten suggestions for encouraging your children to walk more and sit less.
Be a role model for others. Your children observe and imitate your behaviors, both positive and negative. Because they witness you being physically active and having a good time, they are more likely to be active themselves and to keep that level of activity up throughout their lives.
Exercise may serve as a mode of transportation. Take the time to walk your children to school, ride your bicycle to see friends, or roller skate to the park. Additionally, you may park at the far end of parking lots and walk up the steps rather than use the elevator.
Involve the whole family in the process. Inviting everyone to join in events is a great idea. The method, according to Harrison, is "one of the most effective strategies to influence your child's fitness habits." Alternatively, you can volunteer to coach a soccer team and encourage your children to participate, enroll your family in a martial arts class together, join an outdoor adventure club such as a swimming or running club, or simply bring a ball or flying disk with you when you go to the park or the beach.
Concentrate on having a good time. Kids appreciate having a good time, so if they're participating in an activity that they enjoy, they're more likely to continue exercising. Turn on some music and have a dance party, or walk as much as possible when visiting the zoo, a park, or a miniature golf course to get some exercise.
Make your activity more sociable. Invite your children's friends to participate in the activity. In Harrison's opinion, "the number one reason individuals persist with exercise is that they are engaged and responsible." Furthermore, they will very certainly have more fun.
Competition may be used as a motivation. Set the tone by having a competition between you and the kids to determine who can run fastest, or who can do the most push-ups or jump jacks. Give the award to the winner. Use technology to monitor your outcomes, such as a pedometer, to keep track of your progress.
Involve your children in home activities. Washing the dog or vehicle or mowing the grass are all excellent chances to sneak in a little physical exercise while doing household tasks.
Give presents that encourage people to be more physically active. Rollerblades, bicycles, ice skates, soccer balls, and even active-play video games are excellent presents for encouraging physical exercise. Activity-tracking applications and technologies are also entertaining options for children.
Limit your time in front of the television and on the internet. Provide children with opportunities to be physically active, such as attending a local leisure center or after-school program, or enrolling them in classes in a sport they love. Exercise while watching television with your family during commercial breaks by having everyone perform jumping jacks, throwing hula hoops, or even jumping rope during the commercials.
Plan holidays that include new ways to stay active. Plan your family trip around one or two activities that you and your children will like. Consider activities such as hiking, off-road cycling, kayaking, camping, and snorkeling. You'll get the opportunity to discover new areas while also teaching your children to respect nature. Furthermore, the things you attempt while on vacation may turn out to be pastimes that your family will love for years to come.
Physically active children may outperform their peers in terms of intelligence.
Regular exercise may be beneficial for your children in ways more than just keeping them slim and healthy. It has been shown in certain studies that physically fit children do better in school than their less-fit counterparts.
"Physical exercise aids in the development of mental clarity in children, as well as the reduction of stress and the provision of an outlet for their energy," adds Harrison.
"Keep in mind that not all children are created equal," Harrison emphasizes. "Kids with greater motor abilities tend to be more active, and some children are predisposed to being overweight by their genetics." Furthermore, you should encourage rather than coerce your children to improve their physical activity.
So find active activities that your children will love, maintain a cheerful attitude, and get them moving.
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