With fast food and prepared foods readily available and heavily promoted, and with sugar present in a wide variety of foods, it is no wonder that the number of overweight children is at an all-time high and likely to grow even higher, according to MayoClinic.org, which reported in 2007 that 16 percent of school age children were overweight. It's more important than ever for parents to help their young children establish good fitness habits early.
Encourage Your Children to Move
Step 1
Play active games with your children. Tag, red light-green light, duck-duck-goose and charades are all games to play after dinner or on a weekend morning. Make up variations on these games for two people to play.
Step 2
Buy gifts that encourage activity, such as balls, bats, rackets and sleds. Play with your child using the equipment.
Step 3
Sign your children up for occasional sports activities, such as gymnastics, dance or T-ball.
Be a Fitness Role Model
Step 1
Lift weights or water bottles while watching TV and ask your children to join you.
Step 2
Park at the far end of the parking lot when shopping with your children so you have the longest walk you can get.
Step 3
Take the stairs instead of the elevator at every opportunity when you are with your children. Allow extra time so you and the children don't have to rush.
Stay Active on Weekends and Vacations
Step 1
Ride bikes or take walks with your children every Saturday and Sunday when weather allows.
Step 2
Ride bikes, take walks, play miniature golf or swim every day while you are on vacation with your family. KidsHealth.org recommends exploring the zoo, museums and skating rinks in new cities.
Step 3
Walk around the airport while waiting for your vacation flight.
Plan Indoor Activity for Inclement Weather
Step 1
Play active indoor games with your children. HealthyKids.org recommends hiding objects and clues throughout the house for your children to run a scavenger hunt; setting up an obstacle course with chairs, boxes and tables; or using soft foam balls or balloons for indoor bowling, volleyball or catch.
Step 2
Buy indoor fitness items and use them with your kids. A ping-pong table, a soft foam ping-pong game or Wii fitness game are all possibilities.
Step 3
Join your local YMCA for relatively low-cost swimming and fitness classes for children.
Tips and Warnings
- The National Association of Sports and Physical Education publishes physical activity recommendations for children of all ages. They advise that "Preschoolers should engage in at least 60 minutes and up to several hours...of unstructured physical activity each day." A study published in Pediatrics in 2004 found that different preschools had highly variable levels of physical activity. When looking for a preschool for your child, ask potential schools how they encourage children to be physically active and how much time each day is spent in the playground or in playing active games.
Things You'll Need
- Balls
- Bats
- Rackets
- Sleds
- Free weights or water bottles
- Bikes
- Soft foam balls
- Balloons
References
- Mayo Clinic: H46 Kids Eating Healthy
- Kids Health: Active Vacations
- Kids Health: Family Fitness Tips
- National Association of Sports and Physical Education: Active Start--A Statement of Physical Activity Guidelines for Children From Birth to Age 5
- Pediatrics: Physical Activity Among Children Attending Preschools
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