Daily physical activity is an important part in building a child's foundation for a long, healthy life. Helping young children adopt an active lifestyle early on will have a tremendous impact on their physical, intellectual, and emotional development.
It is recommended that each day all children age 2 and older participate in at least 30 minutes of enjoyable, moderate-intensity physical activity which is developmentally-appropriate and varied. Studies have shown that children who participate in fitness activities continue to stay active throughout their lives. Adopting healthy physical habits at an early age will help children learn and adopt health and fitness habits to last their lifetime.
Active children benefit from:
- Having stronger muscles and bones
- Having a leaner body because exercise helps control body fat
- Improved coordination, flexibility, balance and strength
- Being less likely to become overweight
- Having a lower risk of cardiovascular disease
- Decreasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
- Possibly lowering blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels
- Having a better outlook on life
- Improved social skills and increased self-confidence
- Experiencing an increased life expectancy
In addition to the health benefits of regular exercise, kids who are physically fit sleep better and are better able to handle the physical and emotional challenges that a typical day presents-whether that be running or jumping on a playground, bending down to tie a shoe, or reading a favorite book.
Tips for Parents
Get your whole family active! Walking, playing, kicking and throwing a ball or just exploring your backyard can be fun for the entire family. Here are some suggestions for raising a fit kid:
- Help your child participate in a variety of age-appropriate activities.
- Establish a regular schedule for physical activity.
- Incorporate more activity into your daily routine (park further away from the door, take the stairs instead of the elevator).
- Be a positive role model and embrace a more active and healthy lifestyle yourself.
- Keep it fun!
One of the best ways to get kids to be more active is to limit the amount of time spent in sedentary activities such as watching TV (including DVDs or videos) or playing video games. Below are some ideas for helping your child stay active:
- Play tag, "Duck, Duck, Goose", "Follow the Leader", or "Ring Around the Rosy".
- Take turns hopping on one foot.
- Go bike riding.
- Turn on some music and dance together.
- Make an obstacle course with pillows, chairs, and boxes.
- Have a treasure hunt, hiding "treasures" around the house.
- Walk like a penguin, hop like a rabbit, imitate other animals' movements.
- Balance a beanbag while walking.
- Play wheelbarrow by holding your child's legs while he or she walks on hands.
- Turn a walk into a scavenger hunt by listing items for your child to find (a dog, blue car, a flag).
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