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You know how hard it is to find time in between your busy schedules to exercise. It is the same for your children. They have school, homework, and extracurricular activities, plus they also have the temptation to watch TV. Motivate your child by being a good example.
In addition, taking part in many exercising activities drops as the child grows. Most kids also have a lot of screen time which results in another disadvantage of them having to eat a lot of junk food.
Despite all of these challenges, a healthy child should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity in a day. Here are some benefits of exercise and how you can motivate your child to stay physically fit by exercising.
Benefits of Exercising for Children
Daily exercising and ensuring one is fit has a lot of benefits for both adults and children.
Here are some benefits of exercising for children;
- It helps a child have a stronger heart and stronger bones.
- Improves the fitness of a child.
- Improves a child’s concentration.
- Participating in team sports allows your child to develop skills like team building.
- Your child is less likely to suffer chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension.
- Exercise for children also allows them to experience fewer to no mental illnesses such as depression.
So if your child doesn’t exercise, they are missing out on such benefits. Below are some tips for you to motivate your child to be physically fit.
Helping Your Child Become More Physically Active
Be a Role Model
While encouraging them, it is also vital for your kids if you let them see an active parent. Seeing you active will, in turn, motivate them to be involved too.
As a parent and guardian, you model good behaviours to your children and what better way to do than to show them. Set apart some time daily or weekly and exercise as they watch. Seeing you become more active encourages them to be active too.
Make It Fun
Find a sport that your child loves and take part in it. The more the child is involved in their favourite activity, the more they will do it. You can even consider having a family photography day full of activities to make it memorable and have your children look forward to another activity day with family. For instance, if your child or children likes a particular game, take part in it and encourage the rest of the family to take part in it too.
Schedule a Time for Exercise
Plan ahead for the exercise and let your child take part in planning too. At this point, the child might tell you what he or she enjoys doing, and you can incorporate time for the activity.
Schedule the time and ensure you stick to it. When it is time, shut off all the screens and have your child or children participate in the exercise.
Make Sure the Environment Is Conducive
If you are encouraging younger children to exercise, you need to make sure that the environment is completely safe for them. Ensure that your child has the right clothes for the activity.
Also, provide them with active toys. If they are malfunctioning, make an effort to repair or replace them.
Ensure That They Get the Proper Nutrition
If your child does not have the proper nutrition, he or she will not have the energy to be active as needed. To ensure the child gets the appropriate nutrition for energy.
If you implement the above tips, your children will have a great start at staying active even in their adult life. Also, strive to start when your kids are yet young. They will grow into the routine, and you will not have a hard time trying to get them to exercise.
