We usually do not think that kids too need to exercise, however, exercise is not only very beneficial for kids but also if we instill healthy habits into our kids right from their early years it would help them maintain an active lifestyle and a well-rounded personality as well. There is a number of fun activities that we can encourage our kids to take part in like cycling and swimming. Kids need to have regular physical activity, both to maintain a healthy weight and to stay healthy.
Not Getting Enough Physical Activity Can Put Kids at Risk For:
- Higher level of bad cholesterol.
- Childhood obesity.
- High blood pressure.
- Lower level of good cholesterol.
- In addition to lowering your child’s risk factors for coronary heart disease and diabetes mellitus, regular physical activity can help to reduce anxiety and stress, boost self-esteem, and help build strong bones and strong muscles.
But how much physical activity is enough?
Exercise Recommendations For Kids
Exercise guidelines for kids recommend that kids should indulge in daily physical activity for 60minutes and this is not just going out and playing around. It has to be some age-appropriate
- Moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity
- Vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity
- Muscle-strengthening physical activity
- Bone-strengthening physical activity
While doing this 60min activity in one go or at the same time is very difficult good news is it can be broken down into smaller chunks of 15 or 20min. Like if your kids can bicycle to and from school. This can be counted in as physically active time. They can consume rest of the time for physical activity in some team sports or in an after school-gymnasium.
Parents have to set practical examples for kids by staying fit and active. Advising your kids to work out while you are glued to television and cell phone is not very effective rather joining them in for exercise is going to work wonders for an entire family.
Aerobic Exercises
Most of your child’s 60 minutes of daily physical activity should be aerobic physical activity, which can include activities such as:
Active free play games, such as playing tag, and participation in soccer, karate, and tennis, comes under aerobic physical activities.
Your child should be doing some more high-intensity physical activities, like running or bicycling at a fast speed, that should get him breathing harder and his heart beating faster than other less intense physical activity, like brisk walking or bicycling at a slower speed.
Read Also: 5 Ways to Make Sure Your Baby’s Nursery is Safe
Muscle Strengthening Exercises
Kids should also do some age-appropriate muscle-strengthening physical activity at least three days a week.
Depending on your child’s age and abilities, these muscle-strengthening physical activities might include
- Gymnastics
- Modified push-ups, with your child’s knees on the ground
- Rock climbing
- Rope climbing
- Sit-ups or crunches
- Swinging on playground equipment and bars
Active free play games, such as playing tug-of-war, and for older kids, doing push-ups, pull-ups, and weight-lifting, would also be considered muscle-strengthening physical activities.
Bone Strengthening Exercises
Parents often think their kids get strong bones by drinking milk and getting enough calcium in their diet. Regular bone-strengthening physical activities, at least three days a week, are important too, and can include:
- Hopping, skipping, or jumping
- Jumping rope
- Running
- Playing basketball, gymnastics, tennis, and volleyball, etc.
Active free play games, such as playing hop-scotch, would also be considered bone-strengthening physical activities. But, if you think, still you need guidance, then you can find best child specialist in Lahore or any other main city from where you belong.