Category Archives: KIDS AND EXERCISE

Kids and exercise

Most of us can remember how active we were as children and how much less our children (and / or grandchildren) are today. Technology has taken away from kids what they naturally love: activity! Of course, it can’t be all blamed on technology. The problem is multifactorial.  Most of us would agree that our society is no longer as safe as it was  when we were children. Truthfully, it may be just as safe but our access to information and media has made us instantly (and much more) aware of the dangers  which have always been present which we were previously oblivious to.  But even that’s not the whole problem. In our attempts to become more productive and time efficient (usually to make us better providers) we have neglected our children’s right to play time with mom and dad. Your children will be better off with more play time and “floor time” than with more stuff, more games, or a bigger house.

Aside from that, the benefits of exercise with kids are so much more than what one might think. To most of us, exercise is a chore. It is something we know we must do yet it falls very low on our list of priorities and therefore gets dropped.  It is something we may do in order to lose weight or something we do because our doctor may have encouraged us to. It maybe something we do to look better for a trip or to be able to fit into an outfit for an upcoming event.  It is unfortunate how most of us view activity even though it is our most affordable and effective form of preventive medicine.

Now back to the kids: children unknowingly appreciate the importance of regular exercise  more than we do. Studies show that children who are regularly and consistently active have lower incidence of obesity thereby reducing their chances of developing the  chronic medical problems overweight and obesity lead to: diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and ultimately heart disease and stroke.  Not surprising, right? Studies also have shown that children (like adults) who engage in regular exercise have lower incidence of anxiety, depression, and  behavioral problems and have improved self-confidence, ability to learn,  and better test scores.   If your kids aren’t involved in some regular physical activity, then exercise with them 30 min a day. You will both get in shape and spend quality time together at the same time.  I want to help kids discover how fun play can be and how much better they will feel when they get to play.

Now get out there and exercise with your kids (or just exercise like you did when you were one)!