Physical activity is an integral part of every child's lifestyle and development. Registered nurse and certified personal trainer, Hannah Bockhaus, is part of the Bariatric and Weight Loss Clinic team at MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center. As a health care professional and advocate for wellness, she shares the importance of kids living active lifestyles as well as tips on how to keep your children moving.
Children need a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity each day. With busy schedules this can seem like a lot – just remember the time does not need to be consecutive. It’s important to consider how many minutes of total activity your kids are getting daily -- before school, during the school day, after school and on weekends. Also consider the type of activity they’re participating in. Kids and teenagers need a combination of aerobic, muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening activities.
- Aerobic: any activity that gets the heart pumping!
- Muscle-strengthening: playing on the jungle gym, climbing
- Bone-strengthening: Running, jumping rope, playing basketball
When helping your child become more active, keep the following in mind:
Keep it FUN! Virtual technology offers tough competition to playing outside and engaging in physical activity. While the virtual world is here to stay, one thing we can focus on is getting our children excited about exercise. Kids love to get creative, so bring that into their physical activity – catching lightning bugs, designing or participating in a scavenger hunt, swinging from the monkey bars or building a fort.
Create an active environment at home. As we know, kids are constantly learning from their role models. When they see you enjoying exercise, they are more likely to want to try it, too. Teach them your favorite sport, model a yoga pose, have a family game night, start a dance party or walk the dog to help engage them in activity.
Get involved in community activities. Not only do kids get to benefit from exercise, but also learn the value of teamwork and building relationships with peers at community activities. Consider enrolling them in after school programs, playing on sports teams or joining a scout’s group.
Monitoring and encouraging exercise of at least 60 minutes each day can be the first step toward improving your child’s physical health and giving them more energy to learn and grow!
