Have you ever wanted to bottle up a child’s energy? You can always find a kid moving and playing actively, right? I have four kids and three of the four never stop moving. Wait! Yes, they will stop moving when there is a screen in front of their face. It could be a TV screen or a computer screen but if they can see it they are in a seated position and time will be lost. So even the most active children can have moments of lazy times in front of the TV or playing a video game. This becomes a problem if you would not recognize your child standing up or without that glazed look he gets while staring at the TV.
Since children naturally have a ton of energy and love to play engaging them in physical activity should not be too difficult. It is recommended that a child get 60 minutes of moderately intense exercise a day. The one hour can be split up in half or quarters but the main goal is to make them sweat for more than not cleaning their rooms for at least 60 minutes daily. This alone can have a tremendous effect on keep their weight now and keeping them healthy.
Ways to keep your child active:
Martial Arts
Swimming
Join a team sport.
Play tag.
Take the dog for job or a long walk.
Bike riding
A quick morning routine of jumping jacks, running in place, push-ups and crunches followed by more activity later in the day.
Raking leaves.
Doing yard work for an elderly neighbor
Walking a neighbor’s dog
Toss a football
Go apple picking.
Go on a nature hunt.
There are plenty of ways to keep moving. It seems so many try to calm their child down or have them satisfied by video games and TV. This will not give children the physical activity or mental stimulation they need. A lot of that pent up frustration and fidgety behavior is an active kid just waiting to throw a football or go on a nature walk. Make this a family activity and everybody wins.
Related Articles:
Teaching an Active Lifestyle from an Early Age
Helping Your Child Lose Weight