Whereas adults may consider going to the gym and running on a treadmill to keep fit, most children have the advantage of being naturally energetic. Although the advent of technologies such as television and video games has reduced children's overall expenditure of that energy, making some simple lifestyle adjustments will encourage them to play in ways that offer them all the exercise they need.
Benefits
Children reap many benefits from getting exercise on a regular basis. According to Medline Plus, regular exercise helps kids feel less stressed, have better self-esteem, feel equipped to learn in school, get better sleep and have healthier bones, joints and muscles. The Nemours Center for Children's Health Media says that active children will also have leaner bodies, be less likely to develop a weight problem, have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes and potentially have lower blood cholesterol and blood pressure.
Exercise Recommendations
The National Association for Sport and Physical Education suggests that school-age children get at least one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity on most days or every day of the week. It also suggests that children participate in multiple bouts of physical activity lasting at least 15 minutes every day and recommends avoiding periods of inactivity that last longer than 2 hours at a time.
Appropriate Activities
Nemours recommends finding physical activities that suit each child's age, abilities, developmental level and interests. For example, children between ages 6 and 8 are still working on basic physical skills such as catching and kicking so they may benefit from joining an organized but noncompetitive team sport such as T-ball. Older children who are fine-tuning their physical skills may be able to meet the demands of more competitive sports such as football but others may become overwhelmed by the pressure. Alternative activities such as bicycling, golfing and dance lessons may suit these children better.
Home Fitness Tips
Although children can get some of their required exercise by participating in physical education and sports, parents should endeavor to encourage physical activity at home, according to Nemours. Day-to-day family activities such as walking the dog after dinner, riding bikes and swimming are excellent ways to bond and exercise simultaneously. Parents should also have plenty of active toys, such as hula hoops and jump ropes, on hand in order to replace some hours of sedentary activities. The Mayo Clinic recommends giving your children activities as gifts by rewarding good behavior with trips to the ice skating rink, rock climbing wall and batting cages.
Safety
Regardless of what you do to encourage your children's fitness, be sure that they are also safe by monitoring their activities and providing them with protective gear. For example, Nemours recommends giving children helmets, kneepads and elbow pads for rollerblading. If a child seems to have sustained an injury, whether it's an acute sprain or an overuse injury such as a stress fracture, talk to his pediatrician. Finally, talk to a pediatrician about fitness for children with disabilities or chronic medical problem as some activities may be too dangerous and others may need to be modified.
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