Keeping your child active is not only good for their health, but it offers plenty of opportunities to get healthy as a family. There are numerous benefits for keeping your children active, including improved sleep, decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, development of strong muscles and bones, and controlling and maintaining a healthy weight. As children age, it might not always be easy to keep them active, so here are some tips that can help.
Playing Sports
Children can benefit in so many ways from getting the chance to play sports. Organized sports allow children to work together as a team, meet other children with common interests, and participate in friendly competition. Encourage your child to find a sport they actually enjoy and help them practice. It’s important to find quality sports gear that will withstand heavy use so you won’t have to replace it after only a short time. For your little baseball catcher, consider Mizuno catchers gear from HomerunMonkey.com, which offers a variety of quality sports gear.
Encourage Time Away from Technology
If it seems almost impossible to break your child away from their favorite gadget, don’t be afraid to set limits for them. It’s important to make sure they spend less time glued to the television, computer, or tablet and more time being active. It is suggested by experts to limit television and video game time to no more than two hours per day.
Be Active as a Family
Children learn by example, which is why it’s crucial for parents to become more active with their children. Not only will this benefit everyone’s health, but it will also encourage more time together as a family. Some great active things to do as a family include
- Playing sports
- Going on a hike
- Taking the dog for a walk
- Exercise
- Dance
- Go to the park
- Riding bicycles
It can help to allow everyone in the family to wear a pedometer to track their steps. This will help them better understand which activities allow them to take the most steps. You can even turn this into a friendly game to see which member of the family has the most steps at the end of the day.
Know Their Limits
Encouraging children to be active is important, but it’s crucial to understand even children have limits. Don’t push them too hard because that can do more harm than good. Break up your child’s active time so they have plenty of time in between to rest. Try to ensure your child gets at least an hour of active time per day.
Talk to Them
You can tell your children they need to become more active, but they won’t really understand why unless you explain in to them. Explain the many benefits, and stress on the positive way it affects their overall health.
Being active is important at every age and it’s vital to set a good example for your children. The more you are active, the more your children will want to be active just like you. Encourage sports, limit television time, and get more active as a family to promote optimal health. Always encourage your children and never push them too hard.
