From mental health to physical health, parents are responsible for the overall well-being of their children. By encouraging kids to be more active at a young age, you are preparing them for a fit and healthy life in the future. However, children can be stubborn, and it might be difficult to pique their interest in exercise. Here are a few top tips to help you encourage your children to become more active.
Encourage More Physical Activity in Everyday Life
According to the NHS, children between the ages of 5 and 18 need to exercise for at least 60 minutes a day across a week. To help your child hit this goal, you can incorporate exercise into their everyday life. Instead of a sedentary lifestyle, try to reduce the amount of time they spend lying or sitting down and encourage them to be more active. For example, if your child’s school is close to home, they can boost their activity levels by cycling or walking to class. Not to mention, you will also increase your level of activity if you join them before and after school too. If logistics rule out this mode of transport, schedule a walk or a job around the block in your spare time. Weekends are a perfect opportunity for getting out and about, whether walking, running, or cycling together.
Lead By Example
If you want your children to grow up with healthy habits, you need to lead by example. Parents can set a good example with their own behaviour. By leading a healthy lifestyle, you will show your child that being active is a normal part of daily life. Depending on how you like to exercise, you can even include your child. There are plenty of sports clubs and gyms that offer memberships for children. If personal training is more your thing, simply perform an online search for ‘personal training gyms near me’ to find the right match. Try to exercise regularly and place emphasis on being active. Whether it’s going for a run before work or regularly attending an evening fitness class, your child will pick up on your routine, and they will be encouraged to be more active too.
Help Them Find an Exercise They Love
One of the most critical steps in getting children to exercise more is to help them find a physical activity they love to do. It might be tempting to sign them up for an after-school activity that suits your work schedule or shuttle them to a weekend sports lesson that doesn’t interfere with your social life. However, if your child isn’t having fun, they’ll quickly become bored and drag their feet to every lesson. Do some research into age-appropriate activities and give your child a chance to try out different types of sports. Kids who find joy in exercising are more likely to stick with it as they get older.
Incorporate Active Play
For many children, playtime can involve hours of sitting down on a sofa and staring at a screen. If this sounds familiar, try to break this habit by incorporating active play. Take them to a playground so that they can run around outside, and give them toys that make them move. Skipping ropes, footballs and frisbees are simple objects that can provide hours of healthy fun.
