Start Building your Future Knowledge.

According to the Centre of Disease Control (CDC), children aged from 3 to 5 years need to be active throughout the day, whilst those aged from 6 to 17 years need to be active for at least an hour every day.

We all know the benefits of exercise as adults, and these apply to children too. They will sleep better, perform better at school, and are better able to handle the physical and emotional challenges of childhood development.

So, how do you get your kids out and about instead of glued to a computer or television screen? You make it fun.

Verywellfamily.com has written an excellent article with loads of examples called 10 Easy Exercises for Kids. We have summarised a few of our favourites below:

Running

Simple and a great way to release boundless energy, running can be done outdoors, up and down a hallway and around furniture – just be sure to keep any valuables out of harm’s way. Also, try different forms of running such as running on the spot, high knee running and running from side to side.

Jumping

Whether it’s jumping jacks, skipping, hopscotch, one-legged hops or jumps on the trampoline, jumping increases strength and cardio fitness.

Indoor ball games

It’s not as scary as it sounds. Make a game out of tossing balls into a laundry basket, hitting a (very) soft ball to see if they knock over a household item, catching balls with a plastic mixing bowl etc. You can also teach your child to dribble, pass, and roll a ball back and forth between the two of you.

Squats and lunges

These give a great foundation for all kinds of sports. Try forward, backward, and side lunges, as well as classic squats. Make it into a game by counting how many your child can do in 30-second intervals while keeping proper form.

Kids’ yoga

Yoga poses can be a fun and simple way for kids to exercise. YouTube has a number of kids’ yoga classes that your little ones can interact with. Try Cosmic Kids Yoga with Jaime .