Tips from Family Influencers
With kids stuck at home due to both the summer break and the ongoing coronavirus, this is the perfect time to start encouraging healthy habits that could last a lifetime. One important aspect of health is fitness. Getting your kids moving every day will help them understand the significance of taking care of their bodies.
Sometimes it can be difficult to engage the littles ones in a fitness routine, it might even be difficult for them to close out of YouTube and put down electronic devices. I gathered some of the best tips I could find from some of your favorite family influencers such as the LaBrant Fam, The Bucket List Family, and Not Enough Nelsons to help your kids get interested in fitness.
- Get your children to participate in a sport
Encouraging your children to play a sport is a great way to get them to exercise regularly. Having them participate in sports with set practice times will also help with holding them accountable to workout.
Not only do sports keep your kids in shape but they also foster social skills and teach your children team working skills. Discipline and working towards a common goal are other amazing lessons sports can teach children. Sports can even become a lifelong commitment for your children depending on how interested and motivated they are in the sport they play.
The LaBrant Family’s eldest daughter Everleigh is known as a dancer, but she recently started playing soccer a year and a half ago. Watching her has given other parents and kids the confidence to try something new and work hard at it.
- Give your kids their very own workout
While setting an example of a healthy lifestyle for your children is important, finding a way for them to take part in that healthy lifestyle with you is even more so. One great way to do this is by giving your children their very own workout.
This will make them feel like they’re taking part in an “adult” activity and make them excited to work out. It is important to remember when constructing a workout for your children, that they are children! Try not to make it very long or excessively difficult.
Have them do a few reps of only a couple of different exercises that are age-appropriate. As they gain strength (or get bored with those exercises) then you can increase the difficulty or switch them out for new ones.
Feel free to help them out with their exercises when they may need it. The best thing you can do for your kids is to lead by example.
The Bucket List Family has done just that as one of the most-watched family YouTube channels. Parents Garett and Jessica Gee created a workout for their children and kids all over the world joined in on the challenge, sending videos of themselves and watching along with Dorothy and Manila to workout together.
- Make your workout a game
At times it may be challenging to generate interest in working out with your kids. What better way to make your workouts fun and interesting than by making them a game. By doing this, workout time can feel more like playtime and children will be more willing to go along with it.
To make the game particularly engaging try to implement a sort of reward system within the game or add a little healthy competition. Take some inspiration from Not Enough Nelsons as they attempt to break the mundane and aggravating routine with two challenges in one!
- Try to workout Together as a Family
You can make working out a family activity where your kids can participate. This involvement with your children will make them more likely to want to exercise. It also shows that everyone in the family is committed to a healthy lifestyle.
Your children will come to see exercise as another family activity where they can spend time with you rather than something they are obligated to do.
- Model healthy fitness habits
Your kids look up to you! You are the best person to model fitness habits for them. If your child sees that you take fitness seriously, they will likely take it seriously too and understand its significance.
Building healthy habits at a young age is crucial to their success. Talk to your children regularly about why engaging in healthy habits like fitness is important. But above and beyond the conversations, show them that it is important by making it a priority in your own life.
- Taking your children to places where they will be encouraged to be active
Some environments can motivate your children to exercise while having fun. Granted, the current health situation makes this a little challenging.
Taking your children to the park or pool provides countless opportunities for them to be active. Walking or biking on a sidewalk or trail is another great way to get out of the house and get moving.
- Encourage children to be active with their friends
If proper health and safety precautions are taken where you live, feel free to invite one or multiple of your children’s friends over to hike or go to the pool. They can even just hang out in your yard.
This will make your fitness activity feel more like a playdate to your children. Having a friend join in on exercising will make it more fun for your kids and they will likely eagerly look forward to it.
Fitness for children, especially young ones, is not meant to be a chore or another thing you as a parent need to focus energy on. Rather, I encourage you to make a fun schedule that excites your kids to check off each day, or start taking them outside instead of sitting to watch a movie in the middle of the day. Small steps that build long-term healthy habits.
