Exercise sessions for kids should be enjoyable. You can use the term play exercise instead of working out. The Center for Disease Control advises that children between the ages of six and seventeen get at least one hour of exercise daily; this should include exercises that strengthen their muscles and aerobics.
Below you will find 6 exercises that you can try with your child. These exercises don’t require you to have a large space or pieces of equipment, you can do them in approximately 10 minutes, or if you think the time is too short, you can combine a few more to make the sessions longer. You can begin by warming up to get their body warm and their heart pumping.
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Running
The easiest form of exercise is running. It is manageable, and kids enjoy doing it. There are multiple places that children can run, such as outside, down the hallway, or around a huge table. You can also combine running with other movements to make the workout more effective. Adding different movements when running, such as skipping or doing fast-feet (running in place) or high knees, will ensure that your child gets sufficient exercise daily. When doing this, it’s a good idea to get specially designed kids inserts, however, to protect their feet and ensure maximum comfort.
To assist with coordination, you can input high knees and butt kicks while asking them to change direction.
Jumping
Jumping enables your child to build strong muscles, endurance, and a healthy cardiovascular system. You can try these different kinds of jumps to ensure effectiveness:
Hurdle jumping – pretend that you’re jumping over a hurdle by jumping side-to-side or front-to-back.
Jumping jacks – while jumping, stretch your arms out like a starfish; on the second jump, return your arms to your side.
Criss-cross jumping – you jump straight into the air, then you criss-cross your feet. Each time you jump, you switch which leg you will cross.
Tuck jumping – this is the most popular jump done by kids. You bend your knees and lift your heels as high as you can go in the air while jumping.
Ball games
The best thing about ball games is that you can play them both inside and outside. These games help with balance, coordination and allow your child to get their aerobic exercise done. A major advantage is that children like to interact with any games that involve balls.
Some ball games don’t require a lot of space, such as throwing a ball into a clothes basket, using a container to catch a ball, rolling a ball back and forth between partners, and dribbling. You should always find a space that is safe when playing with balls.
Skipping
One form of aerobic activity you can do with your child is skipping; this helps to challenge their coordination and stability. Various skipping games include jumping rope, hopscotch, skipping tag, and you can also set up an obstacle course.
Exercise games
The most dependable way to show your kid that exercising is fun is to turn it into a game. Some games that you can try are:
Traffic – this is a fun activity to do. Do you remember red light, green light? When you shout red light or green light, you tell them which exercise you want them to do; this game is similar.
Corners – If you’re playing with more than one child, you can put them in their own corner. They will run around the room on your instructions, and upon reaching their home corner, they’ll do different exercises.
Stretching and Yoga
A fun and simple exercise for children to do is yoga stretches. Some yoga poses include child’s pose, cobra stretch, tree pose, and upward and downward-facing dog. After playing exercise with your child, do simple stretches; this will help keep their muscles healthy and strong. Some examples of stretches you can do with your child are calf stretch, finger-to-toe stretch, and side-to-side stretch.
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