If you struggle to work out at home, either because there’s no room, or the children are running around all over the place, you might have missed a trick! In terms of getting fit and healthy, as easy as it is to tell our children to get out of the house and go for a run, will they do it? Of course not! But what we can do to help encourage our children to be healthier, is to find ways to exercise with them. It doesn’t have to be in the stereotypical sense either; there are plenty of other ways that our children can get a good workout so that everyone benefits!
Swimming
Swimming is one of the best all-round exercises! If your children don’t know how to swim, getting swimming lessons for them is one of the greatest gifts that money can buy! It’s not only a great way to increase cardiovascular strength, it’s also low impact on muscles and joints. Plus swimming, in conjunction with a weight training regime, is a simple way to keep everything in check!
Playing Games
Playing games works wonders for a younger child. If you are trying to get them to run around a bit more, get them involved in actual games. Whether this is tag, or any variation of what you used to play as a child, just getting them up and about is a great way to increase cardiovascular activity without them even knowing it! Remember, exercise is all about getting the heart pumping, so it doesn’t really matter what you do to get them up as long as the blood gets flowing! Remember, instilling that sense of competition, especially between siblings, can encourage them to push a little bit longer, and will help them get the most benefits and gains.
Dance Class
Dance is one of the greatest underestimated methods of exercise. If you want to spend time with your child, but also have some fun, dancing provides this in abundance! Dancing is a wonderful total body workout and helps to define muscle tone, core strength, and cardiovascular fitness. Plus, it’s not an arduous workout but instead is disguised as a fun activity, and undoubtedly, is the key to getting any child to exercise when they don’t want to!
The Right Sports
Having a game of football in the back garden is all well and good, but you have limited space. Instead, go to a field, and really push for a no-holds-barred game! The right sports can instill a sense of confidence and competition. Moreover, as your child gets older and you stop letting them win by pushing back a little bit more, teaches them that they’ve got to work harder. In turn, this is where they will experience an even great level of physical benefits from exercise. But the trick is to do this gradually. Luckily, as children’s muscles recover extremely quickly, regardless of their fitness levels, you can get them started at any time of their lives!
