Fitness for Kids - Part I

Children often have a natural tendency to play hard. In the ensuing series, we will explore ways and means to direct your child's energy into a lifelong love of physical activity.

Benefits of being active
When kids are active, their bodies can do the things they want and need them to do. Why? Because regular exercise provides these benefits:

• strong muscles and bones
• weight control
• better sleep
• more likely to be academically motivated, alert, and successful
• a better outlook on life
• decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes...

Getting your children off the couch
For many children, going to the playground, biking or simply playing in the backyard has given way to watching television, playing video games and spending hours online. But it's never too late to get your kids off the couch. Use these simple tips to give your kids a lifelong appreciation for activities that strengthen their bodies.

Set a good example
Cannot over emphasize this enough: if you want active kids, be active yourself. Go for a brisk walk, ride your bike or spend some time playing a sport. Kids ages 6 to 17 years old need at least an hour a day of such moderate activities. Three or more days a week should be more vigorous activities such as those that include running or jumping rope.

Invite your friends and family to play a sport or to join you on a walk. Talk about physical activity as an opportunity to take care of your body, rather than a punishment or a chore. Praise, reward and encourage activity.

A parent's active lifestyle is a powerful stimulus for a child. You are a role model for your children; set a good example by making physical activity a priority in your life.

Limit screen time
A surefire way to increase your children's activity levels is to limit the number of hours they're allowed to watch television each day. You might limit screen time — including television, video games and computer time.

Motivating kids to be active
Anyone who's seen kids on a playground knows that most are naturally physically active and love to move around. But what might not be apparent is that climbing to the top of a slide or swinging from the monkey bars can help lead kids to a lifetime of being active.

As they get older, it can be a challenge for kids to get enough daily activity. Reasons include increasing demands of school, a feeling among some kids that they aren't good at sports, a lack of active role models, and busy working families.

And even if kids have the time and the desire to be active, parents may not feel comfortable letting them freely roam the neighborhood as kids once did. So their opportunities might be limited.

Despite these barriers, parents can instill a love of activity and help kids fit it into their everyday routines. Doing so can establish healthy patterns that will last into adulthood.

What motivates kids?
So there's a lot to gain from regular physical activity, but how do you encourage kids to do it? Some of the keys are:

• Giving kids plenty of opportunity to be active: Encourage playing with peers, make activity easy by providing equipment and taking them to playgrounds and other active spots.
• Don't impose, be good spectators: Allow the child to discover activities that's fun for them. If you don't, the child may be bored or frustrated.
• Keeping the focus on fun, not winning sports trophies: Kids are naturally competitive and like to win but they won't do something they don't enjoy.

When kids find an activity that's fun, they'll do it a lot, get better at it, feel accomplished, and want to do it even more.

Age-appropriate activities
The best way for kids to get physical activity is by incorporating physical activity into their daily routine. Toddlers to teens need at least 60 minutes on most (preferably all) days. This can include free play at home, active time at school, and participation in classes or organized sports.

Preschoolers: Preschoolers need play and exercise that helps them continue to develop important motor skills — kicking or throwing a ball, playing tag or follow the leader, hopping on one foot, riding a bike, freeze dancing, or running obstacle courses.

Although some sports may be open to kids as young as 4, organized and team sports are not recommended until they're a little older. Preschoolers can't understand complex rules and often lack the attention span, skills, and coordination needed to play sports. Instead of learning to play a sport, they should work on fundamental skills.

School-age: With school-age kids spending more time on sedentary pursuits like watching TV and playing computer games, the challenge for parents is to help them find physical activities they enjoy and feel successful doing. These can range from traditional sports like cricket, badminton, basketball, etc.. to biking, hiking, and other outdoor pursuits.

As kids learn basic skills and simple rules in the early school-age years, there might only be a few athletic standouts. As kids get older, differences in ability and personality become more apparent. Commitment and interest level often go along with ability, which is why it's important to find an activity that's right for your child. Schedules start getting busy during these years, but don't forget to set aside some time for free play.

Kids' fitness personalities
In addition to a child's age, it's important to consider his or her fitness personality. Personality traits, genetics, and athletic ability combine to influence kids' attitudes toward participation in sports and other physical activities, particularly as they get older.

Which of these three types best describes your child?

• The nonathlete: This child may lack athletic ability, interest in physical activity, or both.
• The casual athlete: This child is interested in being active but isn't a star player and is at risk of getting discouraged in a competitive athletic environment.
• The athlete: This child has athletic ability, is committed to a sport or activity, and likely to ramp up practice time and intensity of competition.

If you understand the concepts of temperament and fitness types, you'll be better able to help your kids find the right activities and get enough exercise — and find enjoyment in physical activity. Some kids want to pursue excellence in a sport, while others may be perfectly happy and fit as casual participants.

The athlete, for instance, will want to be on the basketball team, while the casual athlete may just enjoy shooting hoops in the playground. The nonathlete is likely to need a parent's help and encouragement to get and stay physically active. That's why it's important to encourage kids to remain active even through they aren't top performers.

Whatever their fitness personality, all kids can be physically fit. A parent's positive attitude will help a child who's reluctant to exercise.

Be active yourself and support your kids' interests. If you start this early enough, they'll come to regard activity as a normal — and fun — part of your family's everyday routine.