Developing Good Habits For Life: Fitness Tips For Children

Staying physically fit is extremely important for children, but many parents fail to make sure their little ones are getting the optimal 60 minutes of activity a day. Keep in mind that this doesn't have to happen in one block of time; even if they get up and get moving twelve times a day for five minutes each, the goal has been met. As parent, you can encourage activity in a variety of ways. Use the tips in this article, and before you know it, the entire family will be having fun together.

Create "dance parties" in your house. Don't worry about being perfect, just have fun with this tip. At random times during the day, turn off the television and stop whatever else you are doing. Turn on some fun music and encourage everyone to get up, dance and create their own moves. Also, try to be creative; challenge your family members to dance while they are doing another task, like throwing away the trash. Or, choose a certain move and try doing that throughout the entirety of the song. Get your kids involved by letting them throw out suggestions for what to do during these impromptu dance parties.

If your child enjoys watching television, capitalize on that love by selecting a few workout videos to try from home. You can also consider his or her other interests when you do this. For example, is your little one into martial arts? Try to find a video that incorporates some of these moves. Do they like to dance? Select something that teaches them new moves. If you really want them to feel invested in the process, bring them with you to the store a few times a year and let them select a new video to try. Keep in mind that there are videos that were specifically designed for children, which may be the safest for your family to work out with.

Use objects in your home to create a workout space. For example, do you have stairs leading up to another floor? Challenge your child to see if the two of you can go up and down four times without stopping. You could also gather together some toys and spread them out at your child's feet. Have him or her bend down to pick up one item at a time and put it in a basket; if you really want to make things interesting, you could time the process and turn it into a challenge. The point is to simply get creative; there are a lot of fun fitness tools at your disposal, even if they are currently disguised as something else.

Regardless of whether your child is overweight or not, it is important that they are physically active each and every day. You can help them adopt a positive, lifelong attitude toward fitness by using the tips included above. You will also benefit from the activities; working out doesn't have to happen in a gym for it to be effective. Have fun, and make some memories your children will remember forever!