Helping kids get physical
activity at home
Did you know that kids and adolescents should get at least 60 minutes ( 1 hour) or more of physical activity a day? When they’re at school that’s difficult
to do, especially with physical education classes disappearing
from the school day. If your kids aren’t part of a sports team
that practices after school, how can you help them get the
exercise they need? It’s easier than you think.
One of the most important things you can do to get your
kids moving is to limit TV, video game and computer time. Put
a limit of 2 hours on these sedentary activities. If they’re not
sitting in front of a screen, they can get moving.
To get ‘em moving, suggest activities that they find fun.
After your kids come home from school, suggest jumping
rope, dancing, playing catch or briskly walking the dog. On
weekends, get everyone involved in making household chores
fun (it can be done!). Try placing a sticky note on all of the
items in your home that need cleaning or tidying up, like the
kitchen counter or sofa. Tell each child to collect the sticky
notes after they clean the item. Make it a fun competition—
offer a prize (like a jump rope or a Frisbee from the dollar
store) for the winner. Give each child a pedometer to wear
during the day, and whoever has the most steps at the end of
the week wins a prize.
Another idea to get kids moving around the house is to
increase the intensity of their cleaning chores by putting a time
limit on them. Plug in the iPod and allow a certain number of
songs to get each chore done. For example, allow two songs
to vacuum the living room, three songs to wash the dishes or
one song to make the
bed. Your kids will move
faster to try and beat the
clock, all while increasing
their heart rate and
getting stronger.
Make sure that the
adults at home get
involved, too—you’re
not allowed to sit in
front of the computer
checking Facebook
while your kids do all
the work. Join them in
housecleaning tasks and
compete with them to
get chores done. After
dinner, give everyone a
task—clearing the table,
washing the dishes,
loading the dishwasher. If
the weather’s nice, have
the whole family take an
after-dinner walk or bike
ride—not only will you
all be getting exercise,
but it’s a great way to
bond with your kids as you spend time together and talk about
what’s going on in their lives.
The key to getting kids moving at home is to make it fun
and get the entire family involved. They may be a little reluctant
at first, but once your kids see you having fun they’ll definitely
want to join in!
