Whether you’re a parent or not, you probably know that parents want the best for their children, including the best health. Starting children early on the path to healthy lifestyle choices is a great way to achieve that goal. Eating healthy, getting adequate sleep and exercising regularly are a few things that are easier habits to develop when children are young. In today’s world of technology, adults are more sedentary and so are kids. Parents need to be good role models and do fitness routines with the kids to provide the base for a healthier life.
Calisthenics isn’t the only way to get exercise.
Exercising regularly doesn’t mean you have to do bodyweight exercises or have a set of barbells in your home. It can be as simple as scheduling a half hour to an hour a day for active play with the children. To make it special, make it a reward for both you and your children for getting all the tasks done. You can ride bikes, play basketball, hula hoop, or just play tag. You can offer several options and let your child choose the one to do.
Start with toddlers.
Start kids early. Get your toddler involved with your workout. They can even be the weight you lift. Some simple moves that toddlers can do include deep knee bends, walking lunges and butt kicks. Focus on your form, but not on theirs. Just make it fun. Do circuits. Toddlers have a short attention span, so find ways to keep them involved, like sitting on your back during planks. Feel comfortable breaking from the routine. Just being active is important, so dancing with your little one, and playing hide-and-seek or tag would also qualify at this early age.
Be the most active family on the block when you have school-age children.
You don’t have to have a lot of money for equipment for a good workout. Set up four stations for each person. The stations can be a pole in the ground or a box and can be relatively close together. Have exercises or tasks written on paper at each station. The goal is to go from station to station, do all the exercises and finish before the other person. You can modify it, such as timing it. Having hula hoop competitions for the family or the neighborhood is another fun idea. Include skill training, like jumping, swinging, standing up and squatting down and throwing or catching something.
- Include kids in your workout, but don’t force it. If they hate to exercise but like to be active, opt for active. If your child is crafty or studious, go for nature walks, walk through a museum, or collect leaves and items in nature to produce a creation later.
- Race through the chores. Set a timer and see who can finish organizing their room first. Have children help with yard work, but make it fun.
- Pack away your need for perfection and simply enjoy the time. If you have teens, you can focus more on the proper form for each exercise or check each other’s form. Find videos that provide the information necessary,
- The younger the child, the shorter the sessions should be. You can break up sessions into as little as five to ten minutes and do several throughout the day.
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