Guest Post – Roxanne Porter, How To Teach Physical Fitness To Children

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boysoccerYoung children are naturally active and enjoy participating in physical activity. However, with the increasing use of electronics, many children are no longer receiving the types of active play that contribute to an overall healthy lifestyle. Because exercise is important for avoiding childhood obesity and its related ailments, it is essential for the adults in their lives to find ways to encourage physical fitness in a way that will be fun and inviting to young children. Whether a person is a parent, teacher or child care worker, the following ideas will help anyone to develop an interest in physical activity in the children that they interact with every day.

1. Incorporate music – Most children love to move along with upbeat songs and musical tunes. Many children’s albums are available that even encourage them to make specific movements as they sing along with the lyrics. Even the most bashful child can usually be drawn in to the action by the allure of their favorite song.

2. Take it outside – Sometimes, an inside environment is too restrictive for a child’s boundless energy to be expended. Additionally, fresh air and sunlight can have a positive effect upon a child’s mood. When exercise is taken outside, children feel free to move around as much as they need.

3. Include equipment – Tricycles, jump ropes and balls all have a way of bringing out the inner child in everyone. Children love to practice their new skills in fun ways as they use new toys. They do not have to be complicated or expensive. In fact, the simpler a toy is, then the better it will work. The point is to use equipment that requires a physical action from the child in order to make it work.

crosscountry4. Make it a competition – Child of all ages love to engage in competitions to see who can run faster, jump higher or make it to the finish line first. Therefore, including games that encourage children to test their skills can be an exciting way to get them involved. When incorporating competition into an environment with young or sensitive children, make sure to include no-fail competitions that everyone can win.

5. Study a role model – With young children, reading a simple book about a well-known athlete can lead to discussions on how they practice every day. Older children can enjoy a research project in which they learn about the training techniques their favorite athletes use in order to prepare for a competition. When children find someone that they admire who works hard to meet their goals, then they will begin to respect the value of daily physical activity.

6. Connect to other skills – Physical activity can also be used throughout a child’s day in order to teach other important skills. For example, preschoolers can be asked to jump in place as they count to ten. Additionally, older children can measure how far they made it in a long jump.

Make it useful – Physical fitness does not have to mean long hours spent running in circles.

7. Make it useful – Physical fitness does not have to mean long hours spent running in circles. Instead, find unique ways that children can get exercise while working on other projects. For example, washing a car can burn calories and build muscles as children scrub, wash and reach up to hit the high spots on a vehicle.

8. Join in the fun – Adults who work with children should always remember that they are a role model. When children see the adults in their life having fun while exercising, then they will begin to see physical activity as an exciting part of their life.

Teaching physical fitness to children is one of the most important things that anyone can do for the children in their life. By incorporating a variety of methods to make exercise fun and exciting, anyone can encourage a child to develop a routine that will help them to understand the role that physical activity plays in a healthy lifestyle.

Roxanne Porter is a freelancer & a regular contributor for www.nannyjobs.org. She helps in providing knowledge about nanny services & love writing on nanny related articles. She helps in giving a fair knowledge about nanny Jobs to the community. You can be in touch with her at “r.poter08ATgmail.com”.