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How to Keep Your Kids Active!

Children need to be active every day to promote their healthy growth and development.

Kids who establish healthy lifestyle patterns at a young age will carry them – and their benefits – forward for the rest of their lives.

Did you know? That your child should be getting at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day.

Physical activity doesn’t only have physical health benefits but also mental benefits too!


Here are just a few ways in which exercise impacts your child:

  • Healthy growth and development
  • Better self-esteem
  • Stronger bones, muscles and joints
  • Better posture and balance
  • A stronger heart
  • A healthier weight range
  • Social interaction with friends
  • Learning new skills while having fun
  • Better focus and concentration during school

Getting your kids to be active can be really simple, ask if they want to be a part of a team, enroll in a skill based or recreational class or simply play in the garden or park with them.

Children need to feel motivated and enjoy their activities to ensure that they are reaping the benefits of fitness. If your child lacks motivation keeping an activity log can help them chart their progress, while praise and rewards for each small step achieved can help to keep them motivated!

Children should:

  • Include a warm up and cool down as part of each activity session
  • Drink water before, during and after activities
  • Use the right size of protective equipment
  • Start at a level that matches their current fitness level. Too much too soon can result in injury!

 

How to Keep Your Kids Active!

There are 3 types of physical activity that your child can get involved with!

 

1. Endurance

Endurance activities involve continuous movement of large muscle groups. They increase heart rate and cause breathing to quicken. They are important for development of a healthy heart and lungs.

Endurance activities can be lots of fun – and they don’t have to be competitive. Here are a few examples:

  • Scootering, skateboarding
  • Swimming, dancing, tennis, martial arts
  • Skipping, playing tag, cycling, dodgeball
  • Hockey, football, basketball

2. Flexibility

Activities that encourage children to bend, stretch and reach. Being flexible promotes good posture, reduces muscle stiffness and soreness, increases relaxation and minimizes risk of injury

Flexibility Activities 

  • Active play on a playground
  • Digging in the garden or at the beach, raking leaves
  • Gymnastics, dancing, wall climbing
  • Yoga, skipping, stretching routines

 

3. Strength

Working against a resistance helps children build stronger muscles. Activities that build strength promote strong bones, muscles and good posture and enhance healthy growth and development.

Strength activities to promote strong bones and muscles include:

  • Lifting and carrying things like groceries, garbage and garden waste
  • Raking leaves, climbing stairs
  • Gymnastics
  • Playground activities: monkey bars, climbing ladders, scaling poles

 

If you’d like to know more tips on how to keep your kids healthy and active follow us on social media!

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