Like
adults, kids who exercise are healthier and happier. They do better in
school than sedentary kids; they sleep better; and they have a better
chance of growing up to be fit adults. Despite this -- and the fact
that childhood obesity has become a serious nationwide problem --
almost half the children between the ages of 12 and 21 say they don't
exercise regularly. Twenty five percent say they don't exercise at all.
Exercise is
certainly a component of weight
control for
children, but
it's also important for general health and well being. So even if your
child isn't overweight, he or she ought to be active. Here are some dos
and don'ts to help you get your child up and moving:
(Note: Just as you
should consult a doctor before
you
start an exercise program, so should your child.)
<>DON'T
be a couch potato yourself. This is the most
important
thing of all because if you're not living an active life, how can you
expect your child to? You must set the example. If you're active, your
child will probably follow suit. In fact, statistics show that children
with two active parents are six times more likely to be active than
those with couch-potato parents. Let your child see you go off to the
gym or out for a run.
DO
limit time in front
of the TV, computer and video
games. The average child spends 24 hours a week watching TV! You don't
have to shut off the electronics entirely, just allocate a certain
number of hours per week to them. For example, instead of forcing your
child to go cold turkey with the tube, you can say "no" TV during the
day after school, "yes" after dinner and homework.
DON'T use the word
"exercise." Instead, promote an
activity;
it just sounds like more fun. For example, you might say,
“Let's go
swimming” rather than "Let's do our laps."
DO encourage your
child to join a team. Most
communities
have recreation centers where there are organized team sports such
basketball, baseball, t-ball and soccer. And they almost all need
parent volunteers!
DON'T overlook your
child's interests, and what he/she
is
good at. Maybe your child loves nature -- a bug-collecting hike might
be just the thing. Maybe he/she is a great climber -- consider a jungle
gym or climbing wall. Maybe his/her hand-eye coordination isn't well
developed -- then swimming or bike riding might be better choices than
tennis or baseball.
DO
work with your children's school to promote
physical
education. It makes sense that schools should teach children the skills
they need to have a healthy, active lifestyle, but according to a
recent article in the Los Angeles Times, schools across the
country are dropping physical education requirements due to budget cuts
and demands for better scores on standardized tests.
DON'T try to teach
your child a sport if you tend to
be
impatient. If you think you might become frustrated when your child
doesn't catch on quickly enough -- and he/she may not, even if he's
taken to some other activity earlier -- get someone else to play coach.
It's not worth the risk of turning your child off to a particular sport
before he/she even gets started.
DO make physical
activities a family affair. Physical
activities can be something everyone in the family can enjoy and look
forward to sharing with each other. You can organize weekends and
vacations around hiking, skiing and swimming/snorkeling. There are even
family “camps” based on particular sports.
DON'T buy toys
that encourage sitting around. Books
and
puzzles have their places, but if you want your child to get up and go,
consider a pair of skates, a basketball or soccer ball, or a new bike.
DO steer
job-seeking children toward something
physical.
A paper route, garden chores or a car wash are probably better choices
than inputting data into a computer.
ALWAYS make it
fun. Remember how your toddler loved
being
active ALL the time? Older children can feel the same way, especially
if they see you're having fun, too. It can be as simple as
“I'll race
you to the door. Or, you can have a special private soccer practice
with your child. Or, ask him/her to come watch you play tennis. He/she
can see how much fun you're having, and you can ask him/her
to
be the
ball-boy or ball-girl. Then play together when you're finished.
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