Physical Activity and Your Child

Places or Settings in Which Your Child Can Engage in Physical Activity or Exercise:

* Home
* School
* Playground
* Recreation Centers
* Private Clubs
* Sports Facilities
* Bicycling / Jogging Trails
* Summer Camps
* Dance Centers
* Religious Facilities 

Parents Need to Be Involved:

* Learn what your child likes to do so that you may assist them in finding appropriate physical activity programs and opportunities.
* Be a physically active role-model and plan and participate in family activities that include physical activity.
* Encourage your child to be active with his/her peers.  Try to avoid sedentary activities such as playing video games and watch television.

Other Points to Remember:

Create good habits, don’t procrastinate. While you are thinking about your goals, get out a piece of paper and write down 3-4  20 minute activities you can do this week such as walking outside, climbing stairs, or jumping rope.  Keep your goals on the refrigerator to remind yourself of your progress.

Did you know that only half of our youth get the recommended 60 minutes a day of good exercise like walking, biking or active sports? Make family fitness a priority.  Replace video / computer time for physical exercise and have fun with your family!

Start an activity program in your neighborhood.  Join together with other families for group activities like flag-football, basketball, tag, or hide-and-seek.

Current research indicates that brief workouts that add up to 30 minutes over the course of the day have the same impact as a continuous 30-minute routine.  A daily 12-minute dose of exercise will help you feel more energized and improve your flexibility.  Schedule your 12-minute appointments today.

Stay on track with your goals by getting out of your own way.  Make the activity easy for yourself by planning ahead.  Simple things like placing necessary items by the door can keep you focused on achieving your goals.

Look at where exercise fits in your life and pick the things that appeal to you. Choose exercises that include a full range of movement for the basic muscle groups.  Ask yourself…”What can I realistically do within this season of my life?”

Regular aerobic exercise is an important health maintenance strategy for children and adolescents: it facilitates weight control, helps strengthen bones, improves cardiovascular risk factors, and positively affects their ability to cope with stress.

Bring those sneakers and walk at your own pace.  The best times to walk are before work, morning breaks, during lunch, or after dinner.  Just 10-15 minutes a day will helps build heart muscle.

“Walking is something we can all do, in our own homes with no fancy equipment,” states Leslie Sansone, the walk expert who’s been putting a bounce in people’s steps for the past 25 years. Start off with a total of 20 minutes.

The following activities are also considered aerobic / cardio exercise: rollerblading, bicycling, skateboarding, and swimming.  Include more of these activities in the warmer months.

When the weather is bad and you want to exercise indoors, try this alternative to walking outside. Play upbeat music and march in place 10 times, then do kickbacks for 10, side raises for 10, and front kicks for 10. 

Don’t forget that swimming is also a great cardio exercise.

Your local YMCA may have indoor pools available with the purchase of a day pass.  Check on times and days open.

At the pool try a fun water fitness routine in waist deep water with assisted waist floats.  Walk across the pool, march across the pool, and then ski across repeat these easy-on-the-joints activities. Best of all, your knees, hips, and everything else won’t ache as much!

Dancing is a great way to have fun and burn calories!  Give yourself and your kids a break at least 10 minutes a day by putting on their favorite songs and dancing around.

Play Frisbee with your family or friends. Start by stretching your arms and legs.  If you add ankle weights, you will boost your calorie-burning capacity and tone your legs as well.

Promote a healthy lifestyle with your child by rewarding them with sporting goods that reinforce physical activity like balls, jump ropes, bikes, and skates. 

Encourage your kids to practice the basic motor skills of hopping, galloping, skipping, balancing, kicking, catching and jumping when you are outside.  Play Simon Says game to see if they know the difference between each skill.

Whether you’re the star of the league or a rank amateur, 32 minutes of actual bowling is a great way to tone your arms and bond with your family.

Check your local Parks & Recreation Centers for upcoming classes and programs.  By getting involved in your community, you will meet other families that are making positive fitness choices.

Standing Push-ups are one of the easiest upper-body workouts around. All you need is a clear wall and floor space.  Start with your arms straight, your hands slightly wider than shoulder width and feet apart.  Inhale as you lower yourself toward the wall.  Pause and exhale as you push back from the wall. (8-12X)

Strengthen your abs by doing the Pilates roll-up.  Find a quiet place in your home with a floor mat.  Lay flat with your back to the mat.  Breathe in through your nose.  Raise your arms above your head and gently roll up exhaling as you reach for your toes. Continue this for up to 10 repetitions.

Yoga has been proven to help increase flexibility, decrease stress, and strengthen the immune system.  What is even more amazing is yoga can be done in your living room without any expensive equipment.

Did you know that engaging in strength training and cardio on a regular basis can actually help teens to concentrate and focus on school work?  Strength training also helps to increase endurance and improve performance in other sports.

Sometimes feel like a lab rat when you are running?  Instead of sitting at a machine doing reps or jogging in place, try this series of exercises designed to help with flexibility, strength and cardio conditioning.  Alternate between sprints, jumping rope, push-ups, tricep dips, and crunches for 30 minutes.