Fitness For Kids
Lacey Fitness For Kids
Many elementary-aged kids are given plenty of opportunities and choices in what kind of physical activity they can do, but some parents might wonder if they’re getting enough or too much exercise. Generally, kids are already pretty active and should be getting more than enough exercise throughout the day, but if you’re still worried then here are a few specifics to help you.
What Kinds of Activities Should my Kids Be Doing?
Kids ages 5-12 should be getting about an hour of physical activity or more throughout the day.
They should be getting aerobic exercise like running and swimming at younger ages and sports at older. Team sports are great for both getting your kid to exercise and helping them understand how to work well with others, but if your kid doesn’t like team sports that much, try to get them interested in other types of activities like karate, fencing, or bicycling.
Younger kids, try to incorporate physical activity into their schedule, so say after dinner take them on a walk around the neighborhood. Otherwise, make use of parks around you and take your kid out to run and let them play themselves out.
Try these at-home exercises with your kids!
Limiting Screen Time
Of course, it’s always good to try to limit kid’s screen time, as the sedentary nature of it can affect them in poor ways. First limit how much screen time they get, for children under 6 years old, they should only get about an hour a day of screen time, otherwise, they should either be exercising or doing some other activity not involving any screens.
For kids over the age of 6, it’s up to your discretion, but make sure to discourage any screen time other than video chatting. Also make sure there are no TVs, computers, or video games in their room and ban screens from mealtime.
Why is it Important for my Kid to Exercise?
Anyone and everyone benefits from getting some exercise, but for kids, it is almost essential to help them naturally build strong muscles and bones. It can also help reduce the risk of becoming overweight, developing diabetes, and exercise helps reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Getting plenty of exercise throughout the day can also help them get more restful sleep and prepare them for both physical and emotional challenges throughout life. In addition to all these benefits, keeping your kid active throughout their childhood is setting them up to enjoy exercise and they’ll be more likely to keep exercising throughout their life.
Preventing Issues
Kids who participate in sports are always at risk of injury, so make sure they are properly equipped with protective equipment such as helmets or shoulder pads. Children with chronic illnesses or disabilities should not be excluded from physical activities, they should have activities altered or adapted to fit their needs. Occasionally children will also experience an injury or strain. This is where we can help as Muscle Activation can be used on kids as well.