Kids love to exercise – if only we give them the opportunity. We, the adults, have created all of the sedentary leisure activities (think X-Box and Minecraft) that have left too many of our young ones sitting around doing not enough. It’s up to us to give them the means of balancing that computer time with some sweat time.
Enter the kid friendly workout.
The key to turning kids on to a regular exercise routine is to make it fun for them. Here are a half dozen ways to do just that.
#1 Team Sports
A team sport gives your child the opportunity to get active while developing their skills in a sport of their choice. It will improve their coordination, spatial awareness and cardiovascular fitness. Extra benefits are that your child will learn to overcome shyness, develop resilience and self concept.
#2 Swimming
Most kids love to play in the water. Capitalise on that enjoyment by providing them with a regular opportunity to get some exercise while they get wet.
Have a pool afternoon once a week where you provide challenges at their level along with a range of water based games such as scavenger hunt and shark in the water.
Remember that anything done in water takes 8 times the effort as on land, so pool time’s going to give your kids an awesome, impact free and fun workout.
#3 Mountain Biking
Cycling is a fantastic cardiovascular exercise, as well as providing a great overall leg workout. It’s also a brilliant opportunity to get the whole family off the couch.
Why not make Sunday afternoons your family cycling time. Explore the mountain trails around your region, stopping off for an afternoon (healthy) picnic. You’ll be burning calories and bonding at the same time.
#4 Kid Friendly Circuit
By keeping it short, mixing it up and throwing in some ‘adult’ type movements, you’ll be able to provide your child with a great cardio/resistance combination workout that they can do anywhere.
Select 8 movements that they perform for a minute each with no rest between. Have them complete 2-3 circuits for a great workout.
Between circuits have them complete a fun challenge (e.g. standing up from a lying position with a cup of water on their forehead). Some exercise selections could be skipping, the wall sit, push ups, jumping jacks, lunges, squats and power jumps.
#5 Slip in a DVD
There are some excellent DVD fun workout programs out there that are specifically geared towards youngsters.
Not only do they provide a safe, professionally designed workout, but the instructors are usually high on motivation and enthusiasm.
#6 Gamefication
Capitalise on your child’s obsession with electronic games by slipping in some cool exercise related gaming apps.
One of the best apps out there that for turning a workout into a game is Fitocracy, which allows your child to progress through levels as they negotiate their way through a physical challenge adventure that is tailored toward their specific exercise type.
It provides incentives to complete the workout then presents them with quests that allow them to conquer their opponents as well as their fears.
#7 Kids and Weights
The debate over whether children should use weights as part of an exercise program has been raging for a long time with passionate advocates on both sides of the issue.
The safest way to go is to introduce children to resistance training by way of their own bodyweight. Teach them how to do proper push ups and introduce them to the myriad variations of this exercise that allows them to target different areas of their body.
Other great bodyweight movements to bring some resistance to your child’s workout are the wall sit, body weight squats, lunges, modified pull-ups and the plank.
When your child becomes a teenager you can build upon this foundation by starting them off with some compound movements like the bench press, squats, deadlifts and barbell curls. Stay with a light weight that allows between 12 and 15 reps and concentrate on proper exercise technique.
Introducing a regular workout program to your child is one of the greatest gifts of love that you can bestow upon them.
It will put them on a life-long path to wellness and weight control while allowing them to develop self-confidence and discipline in the process.
Unplugging them from their technology and plugging them into their body is a move that you won’t regret. Why not start today?
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