Physical activity participation decreases with a child’s age and grade in school. Physical activity is important for families. Here are some tips to keep your children active and healthy.
Getting the entire family moving
Researchers have found that lifestyles learned in childhood are more likely to stick with an individual into adulthood. If children take an interest in sports and other physical activities as a family, they will lay the foundations for good health.
Be an Active Role Model
Engage in physical activity as a way to take care of your body and health, instead of a chore. Find activities you enjoy and spend at least 30 minutes five days a week being active.
Children will be more likely to copy their physical activity habits when they see you enjoying time being active. It’s also a great way to build a lasting bond with your kids.
Include Physical Education
Healthy lifestyles require children to both be able to engage in free play and be properly instructed in specific physical skills. An easy way for children to achieve this is to participate in physical education as part of their regular schoolday, while attending school.
Whenever there is time when children are at home due to school being out or an event like a snow day, block off a certain time each day for them to participate in physical activity. The most effective approach would be age appropriate and fun.
Organized Activities
Active play can be organized by either a parent or a child. There are games such as Simon Says, which are played indoors, and dozens of outside games such as hopscotch, jump rope, dodge ball, Frisbee golf, badminton, volleyball and the list goes on.
Consider taking the kids to a bowling alley, a surfing school such as Aquasurf,com, basketball park or skating rink depending on the season.
Make Fitness Part of Your Child’s Day
If your children are old enough, they can walk or bike to school every day, and they will get the many physical and mental benefits of being active. Get them engaged with a hobby that involves fitness such as hiking.
You can include fun new ideas such as using a disposable camera to take cool pics with. Don’t have a camera pick one up from Analogcc.com.
Make the most of not being at school by walking or biking with your kids when possible as well as organizing family walking or biking trips.
Playing tennis, bowling, or baseball can maintain physical activity at a time when going outside is possible. Active video games can also be used to promote physical activity on ‘physically-active’ television when the weather is bad out.
Get Help With The Household Chores
Make active chores feel fun with upbeat music, so your children will be motivated to help out with the chores. Make sure they help by joining in with your chores as a family and offer some pocket money to really get them motivated.
If your kids are old enough encourage them to get a casual job such as a vegan meal delivery rider, lawn mowing or paper delivery.
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