How to Keep Your Kids Fit

Today a large number of kids are obese and if no proper attention is paid on them, 80% of kids will stay overweight as adults.

This will not only put kids in peril for many medical problems, but will also make them vulnerable to many diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea.

Furthermore, obesity can adversely affect a kid’s self-esteem. To avoid this, you need to give special attention to your kids fitness and chalk out a fitness regime, which can help keep your kids fit and healthy.

An important way to keep your kids from gaining weight is to help them maintain a normal weight and develop healthy habits with the help of regular physical activities.

These physical activities can include participation in a physical education class in school or other extracurricular sports in school or community, and can contribute heavily towards your kids fitness.

Other than extracurricular sports, the following things can also work wonders in enhancing your kids fitness.

Warming up:

This process is as important as exercising in your kids fitness regime. Warming up prevents injury to your kid before exercising.

This process should last about five minutes of your kids fitness regime and must include light activities such as walking, stretching and calisthenics such as bending, jumping jacks, knee lifts.

Exercising:

Regular exercise, when included in your kids fitness regime, can help to keep your kids fit.

After warming up, your kids should exercise for at least 15 to 40 minutes.

This process should include jogging, fast walking, cycling, running, and swimming, jumping rope or group activities such as playing soccer, volleyball, baseball, basketball.

In order to keep your kids fit, you should also encourage them to indulge in regular physical activities. This is a vital part of your kids fitness routine.

These physical activities may include:

o Walking or cycling

o Taking a walk with a friend or with a family dog daily

o Using the stairs instead of elevators or escalators

o Tasks such as housework or yard work.

o Family exercise: As part of your kids fitness regime, go for routine family walks or bicycle rides in the neighborhood or nearby parks.

Cooling Down:

In order to stay fit and prevent injury, it is also important for your kids to cool down after exercising.

Similar to warming up, this should also include light activities such as walking and calisthenics.

Strength Training:

This activity should also be included as a part of your kids fitness regime.

Strength training exercises should be done after the cooling down period or on alternate days of regular exercises.

Strength training may include: pushups, leg lifts, sit-ups, crunches, pull-us, lunges, knee bends, heel raises, arm curls with free weights and other exercises such as lifting weights (free weights or weight machines)

Be an Influencing Role Model:

In order to keep your kids motivated to exercise, and eat healthy and good food, it is important you provide them with a healthy lifestyle, which your kids can model as their own.