A big part of parenting involves doing what you can to maintain your child’s health—feeding them the right foods, keeping up with their well child appointments, etc. But are you ensuring your child is getting enough physical activity as part of your mission to keep them as healthy as possible?
How Much Physical Activity Should My Child Get Each Day?
A report from the American Heart Association says today’s children are 15 percent less fit than their parents. And according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, only 1 in 4 children get the recommended amount of physical activity a day.
Younger children under the age of 6 need three hours of active play each day, while children and adolescents ages six and older need 60 minutes of physical activity a day. Of these 60 minutes, there is a mix of different types of activities your child should be doing. The majority should include aerobic activity (such as walking or running) that elevates their heart rate. Muscle and bone strengthening activities such as climbing or pushups to build muscle, and jumping or running to strengthen the bones, should be done at least three days per week.
Physical activity—categorized as moving enough to cause heavy breathing, feeling warm, and sweating—is vital to helping children maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints, reduce the risk of diabetes, and prevent heart disease later in life. And to add to the long list of benefits, physical activity can also boost a child’s mental and behavioral health.
Here are seven ways you can help to increase your child’s fitness level and help them build the healthy habit of daily physical activity.
1. Be a Role Model
One of the best places to start when encouraging your child to be more active? Be more active yourself! Children learn by observing others, so one of the most important things you can do to promote heart-healthy fitness is to practice it yourself. When a child sees your interest in an activity, be it jogging, doing yoga, or lifting weights, they become naturally curious. Your younger children might ask about the activity, or pretend to do it along with you. Older children might be curious to learn alongside you and begin to prioritize their own fitness.
2. Spend Time Outside
While age-appropriate physical activity will differ, there’s something for everyone outside. Older kids might enjoy going on a bike ride, playing a pickup game of basketball with friends, or joining a sports team. Young children and preschoolers can take trips to the park, play an active game of tag or hide and seek, or ride scooters with friends in a safe space. For younger kids, it’s always helpful to have a number of outdoor toys accessible—like hula hoops, balls, and jump ropes—to see what kind of creative games they’ll come up with.
Cold weather presents a challenge when it comes to maintaining physical fitness. The great news is activities like sled riding, an impromptu snow ball fight, or other winter wonderland fun all count toward the recommended one-hour per day of activities.
3. Sign Up for a Sport
Give your child a chance to try different sports to find one they enjoy and have fun doing. After all, the more your child enjoys the activity or sport they join, the more they’ll continue and participate willingly. Encourage your child to make friends and have fun, rather than win and be ultra-competitive. Sports shouldn’t feel stressful or like a chore.
While some kids might take to sports and competition naturally, others may not—and that’s ok! Kids less interested in organized sports might enjoy activities like bike riding, swimming, martial arts, or even being in charge of walking the family dog.
4. Limit Screen Time
Children who spend more time sedentary in front of a screen, including TV, computers, or video games, are more likely to develop health problems such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and breathing problems. While screen time can a useful and sometimes necessary tool, it’s important to help your older children find balance between the demands of school work, friends, technology, and the need for physical activity. It’s recommended that children should limit screen time to less than two hours per day.
5. Plan Family Activities
While being a role model when it comes to physical activity is wonderful, it’s also useful to plan family outings focused on movement. Parents of young children can take their little ones out in a stroller or carrier from an early age. As they get more steady on their feet, let them out to walk for portions. Families with older children might enjoy an age-appropriate hike, a bike ride on a local rail trail, or even trying your hand at a game like tennis or pickle ball at the local park. These family activities are sure to keep everyone in the family moving, and are a great way to make memories together.
6. Introduce Older Teens to the Gym
If your teenager isn’t involved in organized sports, they might benefit from an introduction to the local gym or community center. Many gyms welcome members over the age of 13 as long as they are supervised appropriately. Gyms and community centers are a great place for your older child to try classes, learn about weightlifting, spend time on cardio machines while listening to music, or even swimming in the pool. Spend time at the facility with them and make it part of your weekly routine.
7. Keep a Family Activity Log
Tracking your family’s physical activity shouldn’t be a competition—but keeping an activity log is a great way to see how close or far away each member of the family is to meeting the recommended amount of physical activity in a day. If you notice your activity minutes as a family need a boost, you might work together to plan a bike ride or another fun group activity to get everyone moving together.
We know it can feel difficult to focus so much on your child’s physical activity, but the old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” really holds true—especially when it comes to preventing health problems in your child’s future. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s fitness level, it’s important to speak with their health-care provider.