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Article by Jeff Wise
Exercise is a fun activity to be experienced by both adult and child. Yet when many, mostly adults, think of the word exercise, a dreaded feeling often follows. The term can easily be associated with hard work, sweat and pain, and many prefer to opt out of such activities to avoid these effects.
But from a child’s perspective, exercise is oftentimes viewed in a completely different light. Their natural, heightened energy must be released and there is no greater release than exercise. Of course, kids don’t usually call it exercise. Instead, they use words such as play, skip and tag. An hour on the playground or throwing ball with a friend is not considered hard work… it’s fun! And it should be. After all, they’re kids.
There are some exceptions, though, when it comes to kids exercise. Exercising comes natural and is greatly desired by many kids, but in today’s society a lot of children need to be encouraged to be physically active. It’s too easy for them to spend most of their free time in front of the television, minimizing their use of physical and brain activity. Poor diet also affects the desire to exercise, since it leads to lethargy and weight gain.
Since we as adults know that exercise can and should be fun for kids, it shouldn’t be hard to convince them to participate in activities. There are a great number of ways to keep your kids active and healthy, it just may take a little time discovering what suits him or her best.
Here are a few suggestions for the less active child:
Take a nature hike Have them invite a friend to a park/playground Visit a local swim park or public swimming pool Hide and seek One-on-one game of catch
In addition, we should not only encourage our kids to be active, but we should also participate in activities with them. They are more likely to want to exercise if they see an adult or parent doing the same. Plus, it creates family bonding and fun memories for the future.
Joining them in a physical activity is not only beneficial for their health, it also teaches us a valuable lesson. Exercise doesn’t have to be painful or hard work. Kids are right, it can be a lot of fun.
Jeff Wise has eight years experience in physical fitness, weight training and healthy nutrition. He has three years experience teaching children at his church in Nashville. He has worked for ESPN.
Jeff has a passion for teaching others the importance of health, fitness and proper nutrition.
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