The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends kids get an hour or more of physical activity each day. But when the cold weather sets in, some youngsters don’t get as much exercise as they need for optimum health and development. For this reason, parents have to sometimes go that extra mile to find ways to keep their kids active during the winter months.
Exercise in kids is important because it builds strong muscles and bones, prevents obesity, builds confidence, reduces stress, strengthens immunity, and releases endorphins in the body. Regular exercise also helps children sleep better, improves their overall health, and reduces the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
Although exercise in children is essential to both their physical and mental wellbeing, they should never be forced to do jumping jacks, sit-ups, push-ups, and such. If they enjoy these types of exercises, that’s great. But young children are more likely to stay physically active during the winter if exercising is kept fun. Here are some helpful ways to encourage children to exercise in the cold weather.
Provide Opportunities for Indoor Exercise
There’s no reason for a child to turn into a couch potato just because of frigid temperatures. There are plenty of things a parent can do to incorporate indoor exercise into his day. Exercise videos are perfect examples of this. Exercise videos for children are very affordable and readily abundant. And if one doesn’t want to shell out any cash, the local library may have an assortment of children’s workout videos to choose from.
Fitness videos can include anything from aerobics to dance, or yoga. Some wonderful selections to encourage kids to stay active during the winter months include Yoga for families: Connect with Your Kids (2009), Sesame Street-Get Up and Dance (1969), and Hip Hop for Kids: School House Hop Video (2008).
Another option for keeping kids active is to crank up some of their favorite tunes, and let them dance freely around the room. And if kids must have video games, invest in the kind that requires physical movement to play.
Give Kids Time to Play Outdoors
It’s tempting to keep kids cooped up in the house when it’s cold outside, but there’s nothing like good-old-fashioned play to get a child’s heart pumping. Outdoor play is not only an excellent form of physical activity for children, it gives them a chance to let loose and do things that are typically forbidden in the indoor environment such as running, digging in the dirt, climbing on stuff, and screaming at the top of their lungs. So unless the weather is unbearable, let youngsters spend a few minutes a day frolicking outside – it won’t hurt.
Do Family Recreational Activities that Require Movement
Planning family outings is the perfect way to spend time with the little ones. But during the winter months instead of doing sedentary activities such as taking kids to the movies, opt for recreational activities that are physical in nature such as biking, skating, bowling, walking on the track, playing tennis, walking around the mall, or playing ping pong.
Exercise is a vital part of kids’ health and development. So if the physical activity comes to a screeching halt when winter rolls around, take the initiative to keep kids active by getting kids outdoors, moving as a family, and providing plenty of opportunities to exercise indoors.
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed 10-19-09
Charlina Stewart - Charlina has dedicated more than a decade of her life making a positive difference in the lives of children. During her time as an early ...
