Physical activity for a growing child is key in their development. On average, children are expected to do one hour of physical activity per day but less than half the children in the UK actually achieve this. It’s important that physical activity is regularly implemented in a child’s life, not only for their physical well-being but also their mental health. However, in the modern world of digitisation, we understand that it can be hard to encourage this. In this guide, we’ll cover the various ways to build up physical activity at home for your kids and the benefits associated with doing so regularly.
Benefits Of Physical Activity For Children
Exercise is vital to the health of adults and children alike. It enables us to build muscle, joints, and healthy bones, as well as maintain a healthy body mass index. Physical activity can reduce the risk of diabetes and keep high blood pressure in check which can prove crucial later in life when health concerns have a higher possibility.
Apart from physical benefits, there are various mental health advantages for children that physical activity can also bring. Exercise has proven to reduce anxiety, depression, stress, and tension which can massively improve the lives of children, particularly those of school age. It additionally can help people fall asleep faster and have a deeper sleep so they are more alert for the following day. The benefits of physical activity for children are far from few, so ensuring your child has enough consistent activity in their life is particularly important for healthy living.
Ways To Encourage Your Child To Be Physically Active At Home
Parents and carers play a key part in helping children to do more exercise. Yet there are many easy-to-implement methods to encourage your child to be physically active at home that can be used on a day-to-day basis without excessive costs.
Make Exercise Fun
It may come as no surprise that the more a child finds something fun, the more likely they are to want to do it – exercise is no exception. Finding something physically active that your child likes to do can improve their motivation towards exercise. As a guardian, you can help them find a sport they enjoy and take them to a weekly or daily club. Or you could even blast some music and dance around the house to get your heart rate up. Exercise and physical activity don’t have to be super structured, just make sure your children have fun with it.
Add Activity Into Your Day
Physical activity might be easier to implement into your daily routine than you might think. If you’re within a suitable distance you could walk your kids to school rather than taking the car. Visiting the park after school for some extra exercise could also burn off more steam. Or you could even park at the far end of a car park to get more steps in when at the shops. Activity comes in all shapes and sizes. Every bit of exercise makes a difference so keep that in mind when going about your daily routine. Here at Keren’s Nursery, we ensure that all children get daily exercise through outdoor play and forest adventures.
Be An Exercise Role Model
Children are known to mimic the habits of those around them. As a parent or carer, one of the most effective ways to get your child active is to do it yourself. You could even make it a family activity if your child is more reluctant to exercise as this may motivate them to get involved more. As a role model, your actions can have a big impact on children, both good and bad so make sure to be mindful of your habits when your child is developing in the early years.
Limit Screen Time
Our final tip is to limit children’s screen time. From TV to video games and social media, children can be exposed to numerous screens so it could be a good idea to limit their usage in order to encourage more physical activity in their free time. You could perhaps introduce more active toys or games such as a trampoline, skipping rope, or even a game of hide and seek as it will require more movement than simply looking at the TV. Switching things up to make way for more exercise in your daily lives can largely improve your children’s physical and mental health.
