Talking about the current era, young, old, and children are following a sedentary lifestyle all alike. They spend more than 7 hours every day in front of the TV or any other electronic device. And if we talk specifically about the kids, only 1 in 3 children are being physically active every day. This is why obesity is spreading rampantly even among kids and 1 in every 3 children is obese. This epidemic(obesity) is the birthplace of many chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, heart issues, and some types of cancers. Physical activity is really important for kids because if you don’t encourage them to be active there is a 70% chance that they will become overweight or obese adults. Furthermore, daily physical activity can promote growth and development among children. Also, exercising regularly grows strong bones and muscles, builds endurance, and maintains a healthy weight in kids. Read on this fact sheet to learn some benefits of exercising and how you can motivate your kids to become active.
Some rewarding benefits of being active:
Active kids can do things those non-active kids can’t do. They are more motivated, focused, and successful in school. Moreover, those children who do workout regularly are more confident, have strong muscles and bones, have fewer risks of developing unhealthy weight and chronic ailments. They can enjoy more sound sleep and have less mental issues in general.
Some tips for motivating your child to follow an active lifestyle:
Parental participation:
If you want your kids to not only participate but enjoy their physical activity, be a role model. Children always try to imitate their parents in everything they do. So, if you present yourself as an active person, they will follow your footsteps. If you play with them, they will try to win over you and make every effort to do better than you in that sport. You are a benchmark for them so it’s better to be a good one. Because the habits you make your children develop will last their lifetime.
Find a fun full developmental activity:
Help your kids with finding an enjoyable sport. Because a fun full activity will engage your child more and if you are participating with your kids, that game may last for hours. Furthermore, that activity should be following the physical abilities of your child otherwise instead of producing positive results that activity can yield negative ones. Doing so, will not only make your kids fit but allow you to spend some quality time with your family.
Provide a safe environment to make activity social:
You should ensure that the equipment is safe and reliable and the location is suitable and has a good environment. The outfits should also be comfortable and suitable for the sport. Moreover, invite the friends of your children to join the activity. This will add more fun and your kids will love the time they spend in that sport.
Limit tv time and include your kids in the house chores:
Limit their screen time to 1-2 hours and when you watch TV together, get your kids moving during commercial breaks, do jumping jacks, use a hula hoop, or even jump rope. The daily household activities like washing the dog or the car, or mowing the lawn, are great opportunities to invite your child for a little physical activity.
Do not overdo it:
Don’t push your child to do more than his/her capacity instead tell him to listen to his body. If you make them overdo that activity, he may hurt himself and incur some injury. And if the activity he is doing is hurting him, he should slow down and try some less strenuous activity. The rest is also very important to get going. Check with your child’s weight, if it is dropping below an average and acceptable level, it means they should not continue that activity and you should consult some doctor if necessary.
If all those benefits mentioned earlier are convincing enough to set them to the task of getting fit, outfit them in proper workout shirt and workout shorts for this comfortable clothing will help them achieve some quick fitness results. Wisdom is that you should make your child active from the early days and try every effort that he doesn’t become lazy and inactive.