Ways Your Children Can Stay Active
The end of the school year is approaching and summer is the perfect time to get outside, stay active, and exercise. There are more and more children being classified as obese or overweight than ever before. A regular involvement in physical activity is one of the main essentials we need in life, for both our health and well-being. By having a regular schedule of physical activity, we can prevent our children from potential health problems associated with being overweight in their future.
As kids grow older in age, it can be quite the challenge to make sure their getting an adequate amount of daily activity a day. The demands of school, play dates with other friends, busy work schedules, lack of active role models and the feeling of not being good at sports, are many reasons why getting enough exercise could be a challenge. If you have children who are over the age of six, they need at least an hour of physical activity each day. The hour of physical activity can be broken up throughout the day to complete the whole 60 minutes.
In spite of many barriers in life, parents can still be good role models to their children, giving them a reason to stay active. When parents set a good example, it makes their children to want to follow in their footsteps. The healthy patterns that parents instill in their children at a young age, will last them their entire adulthood.
Here are some ways to stay active:
- Exercise as a family. Start setting a new routine with your family and after dinner, head out for a bike ride or walk.
- Turn off the television. Limit the amount of TV your children watch to only two hours a day. When children are watching TV, they aren’t interested in getting any physical activity.
- Create a structured environment. Even though your children will be getting out of school soon, keep a rigid schedule and that way, you can keep them from lying around the house.
- Enroll your child into summer camps to stay active. In a community, many organizations offer free day camps throughout the summertime. If you’re unable to find a free camp, they shouldn’t be too much money.
- Make physical activity fun. Explain to your child that getting exercise is fun. Create a scavenger hunt for them (making them walk), having your child explore different things, acquiring what they need.