Getting Kids To Understand That Exercise Is Important

Disclosure - This is a collaborative post

As adults, we all know that exercise is important. But as children, it doesn't occur that exercise needs to be something you stick to! After all, kids run around playing all the time, and have to do regular physical activities to learn key developmental skills. It’s only when you get a bit older that exercise can turn into a boring chore! But if you want your kids to always know the importance of regular movement, you need to help them make it fun. Here’s how. 

Turn It Into A Game

If exercise is a game, it doesn’t seem like exercise. That’s a very interesting proposition for some kids who hate having to do P.E classes at school! It’s not boring, it’s not something they have to try and excel at, it’s just a fun game everyone can take part in. 

Batting balloons around to stop them touching the ground, throwing balls at each other and trying to catch them, playing ‘red light, green light’ and being the last person standing. Even simple ideas are enjoyable! 

Explain Your Own Workout Routine

If your kids see you exercising, explain to them what you’re doing! And as you go, explain why. Kids are naturally curious simply thanks to their age, and you’ve got a chance to get a real message in here. You don’t have to preach to them about body image and healthy weight levels - although you can learn more here about why that can be good. 

But you can also talk about how good exercise can make a person feel and how important that is as people get older. And if you’re not too sure what to say here, you can look up some talking points and then translate them into kid-friendly material. 

Limit Screen Time In Fun Ways

Spending time staring at a screen is incredibly common these days. Never before have kids been so indoors, and it’s hard to tear them away when they’re stuck in a video or game with their friends. So you’ve got to put on something better to attract them away. There are plenty of screen free activities to explore.

Something that’s just as fun and fulfilling, and will have the kids forgetting there’s a world of adventure inside on the iPad. Game nights, days out, craft sessions, and baking in the kitchen are all great ways to get the kids on their feet, and as long as they stay that way they’ll experience some healthy effects. 

Keep School Timetables In Mind

And finally, maybe you don’t have to really worry! If your kids are in school, they might be getting plenty of exercise already. They go outside during playtimes, they have regular physical education lessons, and they may even be part of clubs - all of these things count towards their activity quota. The more this kind of schedule is normalised, the more exercise will be important - simple! 

Let kids be kids and have fun as they go; that’s how you make exercise an important thing in their lives. 

Michelle