Sure, many younger children are naturally energetic and rambunctious but there is still a need to make sure they are getting the proper amount of physical exercise each day. The key is to start educating your kids while they are young about the importance of being healthy and what role exercise plays in keeping them in shape from now until they become adults.
The early years are critical for children to develop so it helps to incorporate general exercise in your child’s everyday routine. Instead of using the television or video games to “baby sit” younger children, parents need to become more involved and motivate their youngsters to stay active, while having fun at the same time. By getting younger children (ages 2-4) to participate in a physical activity for at least one hour each day, they benefit greatly by being less stressed and fussy, maintain a healthy weight, build strong bones, joints and muscles and they tend to sleep much better at night.
Of course this doesn’t mean you need to enroll your child in a miniature version of boot camp or push them to sweat. Because 2-4 year olds are still learning how to do basic physical activities such as throwing, kicking, running and walking, it helps to involve them in physical activities that allow them to strengthen those skills early on. If you’re looking for an easy way to incorporate fitness into your child’s life, break down the routine weekly by doing the following: at least 60 minutes of free play, at least 30 minutes of physical activity lead by you, and allowing for a cooling down period of no more than one hour (naptimes don’t count). The cool down period can include you reading their favorite book to them, eating a healthy meal or snack or watching a little bit of television. Switch these activities up from day to day so your child doesn’t get bored with routine.
Because of their age, not all physical activities will interest younger children. This is where the creativity comes into play. By nature, younger children love to mimic what adults do. Use this to your advantage. Instead of regular walking, running or jumping, tailor these everyday activities for your child by walking, running or jumping like an animal. Making animal noises in the process is icing on the cake for any 2-4 year old. Even dancing and singing your child’s favorite songs counts as physical activity. From “London Bridge” to “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” your child will get a kick out of learning the song, while dancing along. Feel free to tailor your child’s fitness as you see fit. The possibilities are endless so there should be no problems at all keeping your child fit and healthy.
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