We all know that most of us should be moving our bodies more. But between work, school, and social obligations, exercise can seem difficult to fit in. And now, with so many activities like group sports and after school programs closed, getting off the couch can seem harder than ever. Luckily, there are some great online resources offering super fun and creative ways to keep your kids moving throughout the day!
Online Resources for Kids Exercise
Wide Open School, a website that was launched by Common Sense specifically to help families who are working and schooling at home during COVID-19, has tons of great exercise activities for all ages, such as Pretend You’re a Robot, Fast Feet Tennis Drill, Move Like Animals, and more! Just choose from the age range you’re looking for on the tab at the top of the page.
The Little Sports You Tube channel features cartoon characters that lead kids in various workout routines. There are daily and morning exercise options, as well as workouts specifically designed for arms, legs, and full body.
Cosmic Kids Yoga will get kids bending and stretching, offering everything from shorter “brain break” sessions to this awesome Yoga Movie Marathon, where kids can do poses themed around popular movies like “Frozen,” “Star Wars,” “Mulan,” and more!
Check out the Boys & Girls Clubs of America website, which has links to free workouts from Planet Fitness, Tabata routines, and even the Couch to 5K program. Most of the exercises and activities on this site are probably better suited for older kids.
#Goals
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids ages 3-5 should be getting at least 3 hours of activity per day, and kids ages 6 and older need an hour of moderate to strenuous physical exercise most days of the week.
Aim to do these three types of exercise:
Endurance – This is aerobic exercise, which gets the heart beating fast and delivers oxygen to all the cells of the body. Examples are running, skating, playing soccer, swimming, and bicycling.
Strength – Strength exercise increases bone density. It includes activities such as push ups, stomach crunches, climbing, wrestling, and hand stands.
Flexibility – When you lengthen and stretch your muscles doing exercises like yoga, a cartwheel, or stretching, you’re engaging in flexibility exercise.
More Tips:
Be an example — participate with your kids as much as possible.
Put the focus on how moving your body makes you feel; avoid talking about how it makes you look.
Most of all, make it fun!
For more tips on how to incorporate movement at every age and stage, visit HealthyChildren.org.