Child Health & Wellness

How To Add More Physical Activity To Your Child's Life

Author: steven chang

Young children these days have a lot of options as to how they spend leisure time. Gadgets and computers have made it possible for kids to play their favorite sports without even going outdoors. If you try to evaluate the physical activity that your little one has, you may be shocked that viewing time and various sedentary activities occupy most of his time. Many parents are also guilty by not setting good examples. Although your child may already be used to sedentary activities, it is certainly not too late to start moving. Right here are some suggestions on how you can encourage physical activity to your kid:

1. Show your little ones that you can modify the regular activities into one, which can strengthen the body. An example is when you take your child out, try to encourage walking by parking the car farther away. Walk together and try to use the stairs instead of elevators. Though the use of elevators may be quite convenient, it may deprive your body of the chance to expend energy.

2. Try to set a time for physical activity everyday. Find an activity that you can do with your little one. Try to squeeze time in the day when you can walk your dog, or you can do a quick exercise together. Establish a recurrent physical activity that your child likes doing. This will encourage involvement and at the same time burn off excess calories.

3. Limit your child's screen time. Permit only two hours of viewing time during weekends, and maybe more on weekdays. This already includes time online and time spent on playing video games. Avoid putting tv inside your kid's room because it can only promote sedentary behavior.

4. If the child is into video games, choose activity-oriented video games because it requires some kind of physical activity. Dance video games are great choices, as well as those that call for movement in order to control movements on the screen. Research has revealed that children who gave up sedentary screen time for lively screen time doubled their energy expenditure.

5. Enable your child to choose the activities that he would like to get involved with.
Some youngsters may love to get involved with group sports, although others may want to take dance classes. Some kids may also not enjoy physical activities the way others do. If your child loves reading, you can walk or bike to the nearest library to get a book. It doesn't really matter what type of activity your child loves doing, what matters the most is how you can add physical activity to his preferences.

Physical activity doesn't need to be really fancy like taking classes for a particular activity. Sometimes it takes a lot of silliness and creativity to get the child moving. Children look up to their parents, and if they see that you are doing what you can to take care of your body, odds are they may also follow. Physical activity is important because it does not only encourage a healthy weight, but it also sets the appropriate foundation for proper health and fitness later on in life.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/how-to-add-more-physical-activity-to-your-childs-life-4694280.html
About the Author: They say your kid is a reflection of you. Visit Gagazine.com to learn how to raise a better child by raising a better parent (YOU) first with Gagazine's pregnancy advice and parenting tips.