outdoor play
Children are spending increasing amounts of
time inside in front of electronic equipment from
an early age, so it is important as a parent to get
your child out of the house and playing outdoors.
Simple activities such as kicking a football, going
to the park or bouncing on the trampoline are
all great fun and fitness for the whole family.
Skipping is another great calorie burner that
is great for all ages so get the family jumping
together.
do gardening and outdoor
work together
Gardening and outdoor work may not be obvious
exercise, but there is no doubt it burns calories
and gets the family out in the fresh air. By
engaging children in gardening and the growing
of fruit and vegetables you may also encourage
them to eat these healthy foods, improving their
health in another way.
encourage healthy
competition and set
challenges
To motivate older children, competition between
family members and physical activity challenges
may be a good tool to inspire interest. Play team
games, or set challenges such as races, relays and
distance events, for example you could invest
in pedometers and compete to walk the most
steps in a week.
join a class together
This applies more for older children, who may
like to participate in more fashionable activities
such as yoga or spinning classes. By doing this
activity with your children there is motivation
for both parents and children to attend the class
and push themselves, perhaps even to challenge
them to outperform the other.
play fitness video games
Although many would argue that fitness focussed
video games are not the same as getting outside
and actually doing the activity, there is no doubt
that children (and adults), enjoy these games.
There is definitely a novelty factor involved
and there is also a competitive aspect that is
attractive. Video games can also be played by
numerous players together and on days when
the weather is bad and outdoors exercise is not
an option.
So get the family together and find some activities
that you can enjoy together to increase fitness,
strengthen family bonds by spending more time
together. Not only it is great for the child, but
also helps the fitness levels of the parents who
may find it hard to make time to exercise when
working and looking after children.
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