Why and How Should Kids Exercise?

Should Kids Exercise or Care About Fitness?

The ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of kids exercise should be on every parent’s mind? Yet, some parents wait until kids are too old to make decisions.

Isn’t there a saying that foundation is the key to human development? Isn’t there another one that says you harvest what you sow?

I’m 100 percent sure that no parent wants their kid to grow up unhealthy and out of shape. Yet, most of us adults who are experiencing fitness or health problems can trace them back to our parents’ attitude.

You know – that attitude, that you’ll let your kids eat what they want because they’ll hate you otherwise; that you’ll let them do what they want and let the future take care of itself.

Nature Vs. Nurture

We know from a previous discussion that there are two reasons we become what we are – that is, nature (what we’re born with), and nurture (what we’re born into).

We established some people are born heavy, but that’s not the same as being unhealthy or unfit. And don’t we know that kids naturally do foolish things because they don’t know any better? And they should not be left to their own devices?

So, to answer the beginning question whether kids should care about fitness, the answer is, No. You, the parent, are the one to care.

If you don’t want your grown up kids blaming you for letting them eat unhealthy food or become couch potatoes, you’re are the one to worry and do something about it.

If you’re one of those people who think it’s too late for you start working out (it’s never too late), you should worry about your kid’s future now.

Educate Your Kids About Food

Have you ever walked into a store with your child, and they started picking up foodstuff? And you probably knew it was unfit? But you let them throw it into your cart anyway, because you wanted to keep them happy, or you were afraid they might cause a scene?

Did you notice they repeated the same thing over and over because it worked the first time? And before you knew, your child was out of control, unfit and unhealthy?

And before you knew, you’re being called into school because your child punched another kid who was teasing them about weight?

What’s the point, you ask?

Well, if any of the above has happened to you, it’s probably because you failed to do one or more of the following things:

Give Your Kids a Reason.

We, adults, have a habit of telling kids what to do instead of giving them a reason. On the other hand, kids are masters of resistance. But they learn fast.

They don’t need to fully understand the reason, as long they know you’re not ordering them around just for the sake of it.

It’s one thing to command your child, Eat This, Not That; and it’s another thing to explain, ‘Eat this because it gives you this, and avoid that because it causes this’.

It’s one thing to tell your child to avoid soda because it has sugar in it; and it’s another thing to explain to them why there are worse things than sugar in soda.

Avoid the Cookie Double Jeopardy.

That’s when you give your child a cookie for good behavior, then when the sugar kicks in, you mollify them another cookie for their tantrum.

You know there was a time that when your kids misbehaved, you whooped them into shape. But that’s ancient history. I’m willing to have somebody talk me out of it, but for now, I believe the reason you take the cookie route is because it’s the tradition.

My suggestion is you give that kid an apple, and if that doesn’t work, scare them.

Psychology has it that humans respond more to the threat of a loss than the prospect of a gain.

I don’t mean you threaten them with whooping, although you could. I mean tell them a scary story.

Tell them of a man in a land far far away, who ate so many cookies until one day he exploded and disappeared, never to be seen again.

Should Kids Exercise or Just Play?

Did you ever hear that all work and no play makes Jack a dull child?

You can switch Jack with Jill. You can also switch work with television or video game, and it still works.

Kids exercise comes naturally. If your child is not a natural exerciser, you should encourage them.

You can hit two birds with one stone and play with your child. I mean the kind of playing where you sweat. If you can’t play with them, let them play with the neighbors’ kids. If not, let them play with the dog.

Whether we’re talking about organized sports or just play, there are numerous benefits of kids’ activities including:

• Physical fitness.
• Learning self-discipline.
• Raising self-esteem.
• Learning the importance of team-work.
• They learn humility (yes, humility).
• Learning critical thinking.
• They learn sharing.
• Learning communication skills, etc.

Sports Vs Play

Most of us love sports, regardless of whether we’re playing or cheering.

If you want your kid to explore the world of sports, by all means, do. It’s good to know as soon as possible whether your kid will be the next Michael Jordan of whatever (see a list of other kids sports below).

Note: One of my pet peeves is hearing people express their disgust that these days kids are getting trophies they haven’t earned. They argue that giving everyone trophies is not a way to encourage hard work.

I see their point, but I disagree fundamentally because, for me, kids play is not about trophies.

Kids play is about play, trophy or not.

A note about organized sports

The only thing I would caution parents whose kids join organized sports is that it’s a different setting, and with that come different emotions.

For one, you’re not in control of the game. Usually that’s the job the coach and the referee.

You have no power to let your kid win so they can feel good about themselves – you know, that thing you do at home.

There will be an opposing team that wants to win, and they’ll do whatever is necessary to hand your kid’s team a humiliating loss.

You will yell yourself hoarse while coaching your team from the sideline. Occasionally, you’ll get up on your feet when your team scores, and will jump up and down when your own kid scores. You’ll yell at other kids if they foul yours, and grumble when the coach benches your child for whatever reason.

What I’ve come to appreciate is that too much emotional investment is not good, either for you or your child.

Putting too much pressure on your child can be counterproductive.

Whenever you feel like yelling because your kid’s team lost, stop and tell yourself, it’s just a kids’ play. Just remember it’s just a matter of time before that kid wants to switch to something else.

Finally, try not to pigeonhole your child. Let them try different things on their journey to self discovery. Always remember, it’s all about the child.

Yours truly, speaketh from experience.

Good Indoor Activities for Kids Exercise

• Balloon ball — There are endless ways to play with balloons indoors. Try to keep it off the ground or play catch.
• Follow the leader — Add to the workout with energetic movements such as jumping, stomping, and squatting.
• Tickle tag — Chase your children. When you catch them, it’s tickle time.
• Dancing — While your kids exercise, dancing is a great way to work your body and have a blast at the same time! You can dance around the house to your tunes or try following along to a dance or Zumba workout video.Also, you can try playing freezer dance. When the music stops, freeze in your pose and hold it until the music begins again.

Good Sports for Kids Exercise

Factors to consider when choosing the right sports for your kids include, and not limited to: age, physical condition, personal preference and vicinity. The following are some of the most fitting sports for kids.

• Badminton
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Bicycling
• Dancing
• Dodgeball
• Football
• Golf
• Gymnastics
• Soccer
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Track and Field

Last Note: No matter what you do always remember to be firm, but fair.

Conclusion

Kids exercise does a lot of good for both the kids and the parents. When done right, it can teach kids how to solve problems as well as lay a great foundation for health and fitness.

As a parent, you don’t want to raise a couch potato. As the saying goes, an idle mind is the devil’s workshop!

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