Good • Strong • Safe

published on July 10th, 10:17 a.m.

Let's face it: kids today live in a remote society. With entertainment available at the push of a button, too many kids these days aren't getting the exercise and experiences they need in order to be healthy. Many schools across the country are cutting back on physical education and recess time and devoting it to academics, and while this is meant to increase students’ knowledge, it's detrimental to their overall health and learning. Thus, it’s up to parents to make sure kids get the activity time they need.

Physical education and experiences are just as essential to one's well-being as mental learning. This doesn’t just mean that kids need to be able to kick a soccer ball properly, rather, it means understanding one’s own body and how it works, and nothing teaches that like being active. If the body is healthy it is able to do work, and feeling good in body helps you to feel good in your mind! Children, like teens and adults, need regular physical activity in order to be healthy. The guideline for this is about an hour a day of rigorous physical activity as a minimum. While adults and teens tend to follow structured workouts and exercise routines that are usually geared specifically towards a goal (such as getting ripped muscles), children from ages six to twelve need a more generalized set of activities to do. The essential skills for them are flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, and muscular endurance.

One of the best things parents can do for their children’s health is going on family outings that involve activity. Go hiking or bicycle riding together! Things like hiking or biking work the cardiovascular system (the heart and lungs), making it stronger and more efficient. If you repeat an activity like these consistently, you’ll find that it’ll become easier over time for you and the kids, and you’ll be able to go longer distances or do harder trails together. This also provides great family time where everyone has fun and keeps in shape together.

Encourage your kids to go outside and play! For kids, any kind of physical activity is beneficial. Playing tag with a group of kids gets them running and learning how to both evade and chase others. These are fundamental skills that are involved in lots of activities in life. Sports where there is a moderate to a lot of movement are the best for kids. Games such as soccer, kickball, or the “dreaded” dodgeball all are good for them. Avoid heavy weight lifting or other relatively intense activities when it comes to kids (no marathon running!). This puts too much strain on their still-growing muscles and bone structures, and at this point they are more prone to injury as well. The best policy is to get them into games and activities that develop the basic skills for them of flexibility and endurance. However, doing a small routine of calisthenics most days of the week is a pretty good idea- have the kids do some stretches, jumping jacks, and just a few pushups and sit-ups without straining themselves.

For some fun and an activity that is perfect for kids (and everyone else, too), you can make a backyard obstacle course that involves running, jumping, throwing, and a host of other skills. You can use whatever you want: hula hoops, jump ropes, even a balance beam made from a 2x4 and a couple bricks! Have races through the course to see who can get the best time. Be creative, and remember, kids learn more when they’re having fun. So, to sum is all up, the best thing to keep kids in shape is to get them moving! Games and activities that develop several skills at once are the best, especially if parents and kids can do them together. Find things that are fun for them to do, whether it be a sport or a backyard game of tag- whatever they can enjoy and keeps them from being stuck in front of the TV. If you start your kids out on a healthy lifestyle from an early age, they’ll be more likely to stick to it throughout the rest of their lives.

Keep ‘em good, strong and safe!