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Off the Couch
Summer Fitness for Kids
By Amy Carey
He emphasizes that for kids of school-age and younger, play should be just that – play. Forcing kids to undertake a sport or activity they don't appreciate will teach them to turn away from exercise rather than enjoy it.
The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development concurs with Kuntzleman that children over the age of 2 should get 60 minutes of moderate physical activity daily for the greatest health benefit. The organization reports that weight-bearing exercise, or activity that relies on your feet and legs carrying your weight, helps build strong bones. Some weight-bearing activities your kids might enjoy include:
- Walking or hiking: Hand your kids the dog's leash and send them around the block. Or pack up some friends and head out to explore nearby nature trails.
- Running or jogging: Set up a neighborhood field day where kids participate in different types of races – long-distance jaunts, dashes. Kids can have fun "training" for their big event and then showing off their speed to friends and family.
- Jumping rope: Always a summertime favorite. Buy a book or find a Web site describing different types of jump rope rhymes and routines.
- Dancing: On rainy days, put in a CD or video designed to get kids moving.
- Rollerblading or skating: These popular activities are great for school-age kids, as long as they practice safe skating with the proper gear – helmets, knee pads and elbow pads.
Even with these fun ways to get moving, why don't kids always embrace exercise as a fun way to pass time? Kuntzleman says we send the wrong messages to kids. For example, "Win a ball game, go to the Dairy Queen, lose a game and take a lap," he says. Kids also see sedentary adults, including moms and dads who reward themselves for big accomplishments with a big dinner or complain about making time to work out and stay fit.
