As a parent, we want to shape the behavior and attitude of our kids toward physical activity. This way, you can encourage them to be physically active throughout their lives, which is a very good thing to do for their overall health. But why should we do that?
Being physically active means that we’re moving enough to benefit our bodies. As we know, this can be achieved through exercise. Now, exercise is vital for a developing child. Physical activity means that they have strong bones, great muscles, and good joints. It can also significantly reduce our body mass index and the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease later in life.
It can also benefit you since, with exercise, it’s much easier to make them fall asleep. How exactly do you get this started? How can you encourage your child to be physically active?
Here are some ideas you can use.
Model an Active Lifestyle
One of the most efficient behavioral encouragement you can give developing children is by setting an example. If you want your kids to be physically active, you’ll have to be physically active as well, and they’ll follow your lead.
As we all know as parents, children like to imitate the people around them, especially the people they’re always around like their parents.
That said, why not take advantage of this fact and set a good example for them, like being physically active? Of course, you don’t have to go to yoga classes; go to the gym every day to do this. Then, you can simply invite them out for a walk if they’re still quite young. If they can handle running, you and your kid can run around the block and make it fun by letting other kids join in.
Give Them Access to Active Toys
One of the things to make physical activities more exciting is letting them do it with an emphasis on fun, like letting them play with toys that make them physically active. And no, we’re talking about going to the park, which is also a good choice. But if you want to stay at home while they exercise, there are a lot of toys out there in the market that encourage your kid to be physically active, like monkey bars, small seesaws, etc.
However, finding toys can be tricky, especially if you don’t know where to look. It would be helpful to start in your area. For example, if you live in Australia, you can look for shops that sell toys like pikler triangles. Finding the best pikler triangle australia has to offer will be easier if you also look online.
Organize Family Outing
Remember how we said earlier that you must set an example for them? Well, that comes into play here.
To make physical activity much more enjoyable for your kid, why not organize a family outing in a nearby park or perhaps in the local swimming pool? Organizing family activities will provide great opportunities to get moving with your family.
Whether it’s a hike, a biking trip, or swimming, letting your child see that you’re also exercising with them will make them realize that it’s only them that needs to follow suit.
If your schedule can’t provide outings for you, simply biking around your neighborhood or going out and playing tag with them can do a lot of good. epicbicycles.com believes that early exposure to the concept of exercise encourages healthy behavior later in life
Carve Out Time for Them
Between all the schoolwork, assignments, and projects, there’s a lot of demand in your kid’s time that they may not be able to make time for exercise, even if they want to. You can help them carve time for physical activities, even if it’s just a little bit.
It might mean cutting out a lot of their free time, so ensure that you get their consent first and ensure they’re not alone throughout this activity. Even five minutes or ten is enough to fit some physical activity in.
Find an Activity They Love
Do you remember how we said earlier that you have to emphasize the fun? Well, that’s very important. This is because when the child thinks the physical activity is too much effort or boring, they’ll quit when the first opportunity comes. That said, you must find a physical activity they enjoy.
Whether it’s biking, hiking, or swimming, make sure that they’re having fun doing it and, at the same time, encourage them to do so. However, this is easier said than done. Children have different preferences. Some kids like to be competitive, and some are happy to be included.
Some kids thrive on being alone, while others are more active when in a group. The key here is, of course, communication. You can know these things more through communication instead of just assuming they like something, resulting in them being not interested or outright indifferent.
Final Words
Being physically active is important for developing children. That’s why it’s generally recommended to do this as early as possible so they can make a habit out of it as they grow up. If they make it a habit, being physically active won’t be an issue for them as they grow up.
