1. Count the Beats
The number of beats your heart produces within 1 minute is your heart rate. To find your child's pulse, place the tips of your second and third fingers on the palm side of your child's wrist slightly below the base of the thumb. Press down until you feel the pulse, and then count each beat for 10 seconds. Multiply that amount by 6 to get your child's heartbeat. Can't find the pulse on the wrist? Another good place to find the pulse is along the neck on either side of the windpipe. Your thumb contains a pulse and often messes up the actual heart rate if you try to count with your thumb on either point. Children should average a resting heart rate of 70 to 100 beats per minute.
2. Find the Target Heart Rate
The target heart rate occurs when your heartbeat reaches 60 to 80 percent of its maximum ability, or 50 percent for obese people or people with little or no physical exertion before beginning an exercise program. While adults use the formula of subtracting their current age from 220 to find their target heart rate, this won't work for children. The target heart rate for children depends on their age, but on average, it's 137 for 3- to 4-year-olds, 133 for 5- to 7-year-olds, 130 for 8- to 11-year-olds and 115 for 12- to 15-year-olds.
3. Go Digital to Determine Heart Rate
Do you struggle to get kids to stay still enough for you to find their pulse? A heart-rate monitor can measure their heart rate while they move around. Some allow you to set an alarm that signals if the rate drops below or rises above the target rate. For kids, a basic heart-rate monitor works well and doesn't need to be fancy. A heart monitor that straps around the back quickly shows you the information and has less chance of being knocked around while your child is climbing on the jungle gym.
4. Make It Fun
Put the stopwatch away and plan trips to the park to get your kids into their target heart rates. Most kids naturally incorporate healthy activities into play. Crossing the monkey bars builds strength, playing tag increases endurance and bending over or reaching up develops flexibility. Walking a balance beam or running across tires boosts balance. Trampolines quickly get the heart rate up. Find something children enjoy, and you won't need to worry about their heart rates.
5. Build a Food Pyramid
The food kids eat directly affects their ability to reach their target heart rates. Obesity fatigues the body quicker, leads to problems with diabetes and the heart's ability to function and slows the heart rate. Appropriate portion sizes and a well-balanced diet build the food pyramid children should follow. Cookbooks, like Jessica Seinfeld's "Deceptively Delicious," show how to hide healthy food in favorite meals like mac-and-cheese and brownies.
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