Forget about looking for a gym that offers daycare, your children can be the best workout partners you’ve ever had!
No, we haven’t lost our minds! You’re probably wondering why a kid would need to workout? And the answer is pretty simple: everyone needs physical activity, even small children.
Why Kids need to exercise
Kids need exercise as much as adults do. The great thing about them is that they don’t associate exercise with beauty standards or weight loss; they see it as fun. You can incorporate your kids into your workout time not only to teach them about healthy habits but also to have a great bonding time, something that we often lack with such busy lives.
Kids need to exercise to:
- – Improve their coordination.
- – Improve muscle strength.
- – Improve fine and gross motor skills.
- – Learn healthy habits.
- – Decrease the risk of obesity and diabetes, both in the present and future.
How much should my kid exercise?
Depending on how old they are:
Toddlers (1-3 y/o)
They should have at least 60 minutes per day of active play time.
Preschoolers (3-6 y/0)
They should have at least 120 minutes of daily physical activity.
Children and teens (7-17 y/o)
They should have at least one hour of daily physical activity, and muscle-strength activity at least three times a week.
Overexercising a child is something possible and very dangerous. Try to stick to these suggested hours and protect your kids from fatigue, stress and injuries.
Workout ideas for kids
The great thing about promoting exercise to your kids is that they can fulfill their daily requirements by just being kids! Playing, exploring, dancing, and spending time outside already gives them the amount of exercise they need.
In UAE there are many Kids’ Gyms if you are ready to start your baby’s fitness journey.
Still, it’s good for you to know these exercises that will improve your children’s motor skills, so you can implement them into your daily playtime:
Crab walks and bear crawls
These exercises are very easy to implement into imaginative play, pretending to be crabs or bears, when they’re younger. If you have older kids, try making them compete against each other in a race.
By making them move using both their hands and feet, they’re activating upper and lower muscles that don’t get much action, especially if your kids spend most of their time sitting.
Running
Every single kid enjoys running, and luckily there are a lot of games in which they can run.
By doing simple races, playing tug or freeze, playing “capture the flag”, or even just running alongside you around the neighborhood, your kids will be strengthening their lungs and hearts, and improving their coordination as well as building endurance.
For deeper knowledge, read our blog “Benefits of running“.
Jumping
Another exercise that’s fairly easy to implement is jumping.
With pretend play you can make your kids jump like a frog, star jump or jump like a kangaroo. You can also teach older kids how to rope jump, which is one of the best cardio exercises that exist!
Engage them in sports
The most straightforward way to promote exercise to your children is engaging them in sports, even if it’s just the two of you, playing soccer, basketball, tennis or baseball will make them do most of the recommended exercises for their age, while still refining their motor skills.
Make them imitate you
As they grow older, your children can do squats, planks, jumping jacks, and even burpees!
You can do your regular workout and have them join you at their own pace. Just make sure that they maintain a correct posture for each exercise.
Yoga for kids
There’s a strong reason for so many gyms to be offering yoga for children.
It will strengthen their flexibility and improve their breathing, patience and overall mental health. It’s a great activity to do together.
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