Exercise and wellness are important pieces for everyone’s lives. It’s always good to start building the importance of these blocks early on in your child’s life. Beyond the many physical benefits like fine motor improvement and lung health, exercise is good for brain health. There are a number of studies and articles showing the benefits of physical activity for the brain, like this one: https://activelivingresearch.org/sites/activelivingresearch.org/files/ALR_Brief_ActiveEducation_Jan2015.pdf which talks about increases in attention and memory among other positives. Here are some tips to get your little one movin’ and groovin’!
Model
You are the ultimate role model for your child! They will always be looking to you for how the world around them works and how they should work within the world. Modeling healthy habits is an excellent way to get your kiddo active and enjoying it. Seeing you do that home workout will encourage them to be active too. It doesn’t need to be limited to home either; take them for a walk or to go play at the park. Initiating that active play with your child sets a great example too!
Be Creative!
Fitness is so much more than how much stuff you can move or how fast you can run! It all breaks down to getting moving in some way or another. Finding unique ways to do that adds to the fun for your little one. Coming up with a fun variation of tag where perhaps you have to skip or walk backwards is a silly and simple way to reinvent an activity to keep it engaging.
Build on Other Interests
Having an active lifestyle is just that: a lifestyle! Incorporating it into other hobbies or interests is a great way to build those healthy habits. If your child likes music, you can create a fun playlist to go along with some climbing time. Maybe they really enjoy coloring; you can bring it outside with some chalk and make an “obstacle course”. Combinations like those can keep physical activities from feeling “forced” and help them be that much more fun!
A healthy kid is often a happy kid! Taking the time to work in some working out will be hugely beneficial for your child. Brain development and heart health are among the several areas that reap the rewards of physical activity. Setting the example through modeling, adding some flavor with creativity, and making it special through other interests will help get your little one on the move and towards a healthier day to day life.
Kiddo Tips 