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What Is a Good Workout Routine/ Easy Exercises For kids?Children love to move. As babies start crawling, it’s tough keeping them still, even at meal times and diaper changes. Once they start pulling themselves up and taking their first steps, movements of all kinds make kids giddy with joy and downright silly with happiness. Unfortunately, many children today aren’t as active as parents and health professionals would like. Some kids are on screens at a very young age, which is not a bad thing – after all, they have to become tech-savvy to thrive in our digital world.But screen time can lead to idleness and inactivity. Even if children are kept mainly away from screens until they are 10 or 12, there are lots of other things that keep them in one place for hours on end, like watching television and movies. It’s well known that childhood obesity levels in North America are at an all-time high, and that is due, in part, to them spending too much time sitting instead of getting lots of physical exercise.The pandemic only worsened the problem, as families were forced to stay home, kids couldn’t play team sports or go to school, and they spent most of their time trying to master online learning.But things are largely back to normal now. Children are back in school, life has returned to normal, and it’s time to focus on getting kids active again, both indoors and outside. The Centre For Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta recommends that all children between the ages of six and 17 get a minimum of one hour of exercise every day.In this post, we offer ideas to encourage activity in your child and suggest ways to launch kid-friendly exercise routines at home or in a nearby park or in your own yard. You can even adapt some of these routines to an indoor space if your family lives in a condo or apartment without easy access to outdoor green spaces.We also have suggestions for some of the best-structured forms of exercise for children, according to pediatricians and other experts.No matter which routine you decide to start, remember that the goal is the same for all: get your child running, jumping and bouncing around. Exercise is beneficial in so many ways – it helps them burn off energy and get ready for a good night’s sleep; it regulates appetite, and it balances mood. All in all, exercise is a win-win for parents and children alike.
1) Get Them Making The Crab Walk, Bear Crawl & Other Animal Moves
Let the kids crawl around on all fours like a bear and upside down like a crab. Encourage them to climb during exercise too, whether it’s on the monkey bars at the park or in your own backyard. (Under adult supervision, of course). Have them stretch and meow like a cat or reach to the ceiling and howl like a wolf. Children delight in moving like animals, and these moves help develop balance, coordination and strength.
2) Buy a Badminton Set For The Backyard
Unlike tennis, which is excellent for older children but not really adaptable to indoor play, badminton is perfect for young kids as well as pre-teens and teens. The net can be set high or lowered for younger children. The “birdie” (called a shuttle cock, in proper parlance) is so lightweight it won’t hurt anyone even if they get hit with it straight on. And its lightness means it won’t break anything indoors, either, so they can toss it back and forth without fear of breaking your favourite vase!The game is easy to understand – bat the birdie back and forth over the net without letting it hit the ground or carpet. The kids can play badminton in teams or with just one person on each side of the net. Badminton is too often overlooked when parents choose games and sports for their children. Yet it is excellent for developing coordination, balance and speed. (You have to run to hit the birdie, after all!)
3) Devote Some Space For Them To Run Around
On a rainy day, the kids can’t get out for a walk or game of hopscotch, so move the furniture away and devise games for them to play indoors. Running and jumping are both good for them, so let them race back and forth, corner to corner of a room. They can even race up and down the stairs if they’re old enough to grip the railing.The goal is to get them moving safely and make it fun for them. When the weather is fair, send them out to the yard or driveway with a skipping rope. Like hopscotch, skipping is another activity that’s good for coordination and balance.
4) Yoga & Stretches
Does your child love watching you do your at-home yoga routine? If so, get them to join in! Any routine that fosters focus and balance is good for them, and gentle stretching and certain yoga poses are perfect for this. Show them how to do certain moves, and encourage them to try along with you.Children are always glad to spend time with a parent in a mutual activity that’s fun and engaging, so get them a mat and let them lie beside you. Teach them how to do push-ups, sit-ups, and other moves that build strength in their upper bodies. Modify each move depending on your child’s age.
5) Get Them Dancing
All children love to dance, particularly young ones, who will seize every opportunity when the music is turned on. Doing the twist and teaching them how to move to the rhythm of the music is good for both of you, and not just physically. It helps cement the bond between you, and your child will have fond memories of dancing with mom or dad. Studies show that parents who exercise with their children from a young age teach them the value of movement without having to talk and lecture – and that’s better for everybody.
6) Running, Jumping, & Windmill Arms
If space at home is limited, take your child to the park and let them run as fast as they can. Make a game of it by setting markers for them to touch – a tree here, a park bench over there, as if they were running in a relay race.Take one of their buddies or a sibling, so they can have a little friendly competition. If you have space, put up a basket for them to shoot hoops in your driveway or yard. (Some models can be moved when you need to get the car).Whichever activities your child enjoys the most are the ones they should do most often, but try all of them at some point. As we said, the goal is simply getting them moving, building muscles and burning energy for about an hour each day.
Ideas For Structured Exercises:
Swimming
You don’t need to have your own pool! Plenty of cities and towns have community centres with swim lessons with fully trained instructors. Getting lessons for your child starting at a very young age accomplishes a lot: it gives them exercise several times a week, and it teaches them how to be safe around water.That’s a very handy skill to have their entire lives. Many of these centres offer geared-to-income memberships for parents and children, so you can do your own workout or fitness class while your child receives swim lessons. Definitely a win-win!
Dance Classes
As we noted, children love dancing. Consider enrolling them in a ballet or modern dance class and watch them find joy performing in an annual recital. Even children as young as four or five can have fun taking dancing lessons. Consider enrolling them in a class that focuses on their heritage – folk dancing, for example. There is sure to be a dance course of some kind that your child will love.
Wrapping Up
Children moving for at least an hour every day is a key contributor to their overall health and well-being. We’ve all seen the big smiles and heard the raucous laughter of children enjoying play, and that’s the same joyful noise they make when having fun exercising. Experiment with different exercise routines until you find the ones that make your child happy.Working up a little sweat, getting thirsty and downing a big glass of water are both signs that the exercise is working. It’s beneficial to them physically, mentally and emotionally, and that is, of course, the aim of every parent. And remember: if they don’t take to a particular exercise right away, don’t worry!Children change so much month to month, practically day to day, that an activity they don’t take to this year just might be their favourite exercise next year. What matters most is that you keep them moving in a variety of fun and different ways to develop a lifelong love of movement that they will carry with them right into adulthood.
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