Fitness Activities and Tips for Kids
A healthy kid is an active kid, but engaging kids in fitness activities is not always an easy task. Kids today seem to be trading fitness and exercise activities for time parked in front of televisions and computers. Partaking in group of individual fitness activities can be fun and healthy.
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Family Activities
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Consider family biking adventures. Children will be more motivated to get fit if the whole family is doing it together. When everyone joins in, it's no longer work, it's fun. Hiking is a perfect activity for families to share together. Contact your local Chamber of Commerce, or your state's Parks and Recreation department for information on available hiking areas. Bicycling is also a great fitness activity for the family. You can choose mountain biking that keeps you off-road, or determine safe biking zones in your neighborhood or city. Swimming is an all-around healthy activity and can be done outdoors in the summer months at community pools or lakes. If the weather is inclement, check out possibilities at your local YMCA or other family friendly health and fitness facilities.
Organized Sports
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Organized sports are a great way to help your child improve both his fitness and social skills. Community soccer, baseball and basketball leagues are abundantly available in many communities. Many schools offer after-school intramural or competitive sports options. It's never too early to let kids give tennis or golf a try. Many private and public golf courses offer junior programs for interested children.
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Year-Round Activity
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Cross-country skiing is a great winter fitness activity. We tend to spend more time outdoors during the summer months while heading into hibernation in the winter. To prevent kids from developing these same habits, be sure to expose them to activities all year. If you live in a climate that experiences cold, snowy winters, consider skiing or snow boarding. If you prefer something less risky, ice skating, snow shoeing and cross-country skiing are excellent alternatives. Winter can also simply mean a switch to indoor activities such as roller skating or rock climbing gyms.
Tips
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Good nutrition goes hand-in-hand with fitness. Teach your children as early as possible about making healthy food choices. Limit their television and computer time, or offer it as a reward for completing a set period of activity time. Organize the kids in your neighborhood by staging sports and other fitness competitions. Reward them with small token prizes to maintain their interest. Lastly, be sure your children are getting enough sleep. A well-rested child will be much more likely to engaging in healthy fitness activities.
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References
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