With medical experts at the Office of the Surgeon General, Centers for Disease Control and American Heart Association raising the alarm about rising levels of obesity in children, getting kids physically active is as important as providing them with a healthy diet. Many of the same principles of exercise which guide adult workouts can be applied to children's workouts, according to British health website Netfit. Varying certain aspects to make exercise more fun is the key to getting--and keeping--kids physically active.
Jumping Rope
Many children see jumping rope as a game, not exercise, making it a perfect workout for kids. The longer children perform it, the more calories they burn and more cardiovascular benefit they get.
Buy or make your child jump ropes which can be used for one person, or for multi-person games. As children get more adept at jumping, add more routines. For example, for single jumpers, have them start landing on two legs, then one leg, then alternating legs. Have them learn how to cross arms. When two children skip the rope for a third, make sure all three children get a turn. Have them keep rhythm with rhymes or songs. Add a second rope to make it more challenging for both the rope turners and the jumper.
Start with a slow pace in the beginning, both to help develop coordination and to allow children to increase stamina and endurance. It's better for children to exercise for 15 minutes or longer at a moderate pace than to burn out after a few minutes of high-intensity work.
Races
Another way to make exercise a game is by adding races, with defined distances and times. Kids can race against each other, do relays, run obstacle courses, do short sprints or run longer distances. Add races which include high knee skips and swinging arms to bring more muscles into the exercises.
Don't try to "wing it" when introducing races. Plan out courses and goals ahead of time, and walk or run the track or course before you ask the children to do it. If they are going longer distances, be sure they are in sight of an adult at all times.
Younger kids like to do what the big kids do, so if you have access to a high school or college track that isn't being used, drive the children there. You can do most of the same races you do at a track on the street in front of your house, but going to a track makes it more "official."
Bodyweight Exercises
Bodyweight exercises are those you do using your own weight as the resistance. They include sit-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups, push-ups, lunges and squats. Children will be most familiar with sit-ups and push-ups because they have likely done them in gym class at school. Pull-ups and chin-ups may be too difficult for pre-teens, while lunges and squats may be too muscle-specific for non-athletes.
Make push-ups easier for kids by having them start on their knees. Pulling their knees closer to their chest make push-ups even easier. Moving hands farther apart allows them to use larger chest muscles, making it easier.
Children have less core strength than adults, and sit-ups will be more difficult for younger kids than for adults. Make sit-ups less stressful on children's backs by having them place their arms on their chests, with their fists under their chins. When you do sit-ups with your hand behind your head, you begin to pull yourself up with your arms as you tire, straining your neck and back. Keeping your hands in front of you prevents this.
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