Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/510259
These are diseases that have no place in a young person's life, and the good news is that regular exercise can seriously decrease your child's risk. Along with helping your child to maintain a healthy weight, regular exercise can also help your kids excel at school and, later, in the workforce. How to Get Your Kids Moving It is imperative that your limit your child's TV, computer and video game time, and replace them with a regular exercise program. Overweight and obese children will need at least 30 minutes of exercise each day, and may benefit from closer to 60 minutes. Even if your child is not overweight, you should encourage him or her to take part in physically engaging activities after school and on the weekends. There are plenty to choose from, from sports and dance classes to gymnastics, bike riding and playing tag with friends. Allow your child to choose activities that appeal to them, and which are age appropriate. Unless your child is seriously overweight or obese (in which case he may benefit from seeing a personal trainer who specializes in children), you shouldn't expect your child to log in 30 minutes on the treadmill or elliptical machine like you do. The trick to getting kids interested in exercise at a young age is to keep it fun, not feeling like a chore. Encourage your child to engage in activities that are naturally interesting to them, such as playing on the monkey bars, rollerblading, skateboarding, dancing or playing basketball with friends. Allow your kids to exercise in bursts throughout the day – a game of tag here, a bike ride there – so they don't feel pressured or like they're being "punished." Like adults, kids need variety to their exercise routine, so be sure your child is getting in aerobic, interval training, weight training, stretching and core-building activities. This may sound daunting, but if your child participates in a gymnastics class, sprints around the backyard after the dog often and rides his bike after school, you'll be covered. Interestingly, interval type of exercise is typically what most children will do spontaneously. Animals will also do this. They will run for 50-150 yards or so at high speed and then stop to rest and repeat that throughout the day. This type of high-intensity exertion is what most adults are actually missing from their exercise program. And, remember, it's imperative that you act as a role model by staying active yourself. If your kids see you embracing exercise in a positive way, they will naturally follow suit. Plus, it's easy to plan active activities that involve the whole family and double up as fun ways to spend time together. Hiking, bike riding, canoeing, swimming and sports are all great options. Think of it this way… by taking the time to get your kids interested in exercise now, you're giving them a gift that will keep them healthy and happy for the rest of their lives. A review of 14 studies has demonstrated that the more physically active school children are, the better they do academically. One US test program at Naperville Central High School powerfully illustrated this point several years ago. Students who participated in a dynamic morning exercise program nearly doubled their reading scores while math scores increased 20-fold. Exercise encourages your brain to work at optimum capacity by causing nerve cells to multiply, strengthening their interconnections and protecting them from damage. This is true for all age groups. To get your kids moving, limit the amount of time your child spends watching TV or playing computer and video games, and to replace these sedentary activities with active ones. Overweight and obese children need at least 30 minutes of exercise each day, and may benefit from closer to 60 minutes. High-intensity interval training is the ideal form of exercise for children. Intermittent bouts of activity with pauses in between is entirely natural for the human body, and kids will spontaneously resort to this type of activity when left to their own devices. Abby's Magazine - May/June 2015 | Page 21