Childhood obesity in the United States has more than tripled in the last 30 years, reports the Centers for Disease Control. Between 1980 and 2008, obesity in children between 6 and 11 years old increased from 6.5 percent to 19.6 percent, and jumped from 5 percent to 18.1 percent in kids aged 12 to 19 years. A healthy diet and regular exercise can combat obesity, but there are ways to help your child get back in shape if he is already obese.
Aerobic Activities
Children tend to mimic their parents, so if you spend the majority of your time eating snacks and watching television, chances are your child would rather do the same instead of eating vegetables and playing outside. Start by taking your kid for daily walks. If you have a dog, you may consider making it a fun outing by taking the dog for a walk, too, or just make the walk a family event each evening after dinner. Children and adolescents should get at least 60 minutes of aerobic exercise each day. This can be accomplished by jogging, swimming, walking, bicycling, jumping rope or roller blading, all of which are suitable beginner exercises for children who are obese.
Strength Training
A study presented at the 52nd annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine showed that a group of children who participated in a three-times-per-week resistance training program gained more lean muscle and showed an increase in strength after 10 weeks. Lead author of the study, Chris Holian, said, "Kids can start with some basic resistance training concepts that don't require expensive equipment or a gym membership." Holian adds that kids can use their body's own resistance to perform pushups, pullups and situps to build strength.
Bone Strengthening
Exercises like plyometrics help strengthen bone and usually combine aerobic exercises with strength training exercises. Playing basketball, jumping rope, playing hopscotch and running all force kids to jump and exercise the fast-twitch muscles in their legs. It is important to monitor your child during these activities, as you don't want him to jump from a height that is too high or trip and fall while playing. You can assist your child in gradually increasing his endurance by challenging him to beat his distance running, number of baskets made or number of consecutive rope jumps completed each day.
Locations
You can work with your child to strength train, either in a structured or an unstructured setting. You may choose to go to a gym or recreational facility to use a weight room, or play tug-of-war, climb on a jungle gym or wrestle to make it more fun. Beginners in the weight room can perform dumbbell curls, leg press, leg curls and weighted squats.
References
- American College of Sports Medicine; Obese Children Benefit From Resistance Training; June 2005
- American Council on Exercise; My Child is Obese. Now What Do I Do?; Natalie Digate Muth; May 2010
- American Council on Exercise; How to Fight Overweight and Obesity in Children; Marion Webb; December 2006
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans; October 2008
- Centers for Disease Control; Childhood Obesity; June 2010
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