The U.S. Government’s Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that children aged 5-10 get 60 minutes of physical activity each day. However, 74% of children in this age group are not meeting this recommendation. Below are some fun ways to get your kids active.
Try Sports
Team sports are a great way to get your child active, and also help them to make friends and learn teamwork skills. Good team sports for elementary school children include soccer, baseball, and basketball. If your child isn’t interested in team sports, an individual sport may be more their style. Individual sport options include dance, rock climbing, tennis, martial arts, and swimming. Allowing your child to try a number of different sports can help you both discover what physical activity they enjoy most.
Make it Fun
There are a number of fun ways for kids to be active without participating in sports. Active games, like tag or catch, can be a good way to incorporate fitness into your child’s play. Even playing on the playground gives your child an opportunity to get some exercise. If your child is more the indoor type, there are a number of exercise DVD’s for children that make traditional exercise routines fun and accessible to kids. Your child may also enjoy a more traditional form of exercise, like yoga or Pilates; these can be practiced in classes, or you can purchase a DVD that leads children through this form of exercise. Many children enjoy yoga as they are able to pose in the form of different animals.
It’s a Family Affair
Participating in physical activities as a family is a good way to teach your children that being active is a normal part of everyday life. There are plenty of fun family activities that allow you to be active, including roller blading, ice skating, bicycling, walking, and swimming. You can also play games that require physical activity, like charades or tag. Even fun family activities like camping and visiting the park will help increase your and your child’s physical fitness.
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