If you constantly nag your kids to get off their screens and spend some time outdoors, it probably means your kids are leading a sedentary lifestyle. While there’s nothing wrong if your kids prefer more time indoors, unfortunately, inactive kids are more prone to obesity, heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol levels. Thus, as parents, it’s your responsibility to teach your child the importance of physical activity and how to lead an active lifestyle.
However, raising active kids isn’t only done by telling them to go outside and play. Kids tend to cooperate and learn more if they have someone to look up to or influence them to be active. Thus, the best way to raise active kids is to be active yourselves. To help you keep your kids moving and make physical activities part of their daily routine, here are six tips you can do to raise active kids:
- Limit Screen Time
Before planning any kids activity, it might be best to establish rules for your kids regarding the usage of screens. Leaving your kids to use their phones, computers, tablets, or TV any time of the day will only discourage them from going outside, resulting in a sedentary lifestyle. As much as possible, limit their screen time by giving them at least 30 minutes to one hour a day to use their gadgets. Beyond that, you’ll need to keep their devices out of sight and give them back on the next scheduled screen time.
- Plan More Family Outings
Some kids resort to using screens instead of spending time outdoors because that’s what they see from their parents. This is true, especially if some parents often take their work at home and use their company phones, tablets, or laptops in the living room without knowing that their kids are watching them from afar. Therefore, despite your hectic schedule, you need to set aside time to plan and host family outings.
Family outings don’t need to be expensive trips to foreign countries. These can be as simple as bringing your family to a nice park to play softball, visiting a zoo, setting down blankets on the beach, or having a picnic at the park. Any of these activities will give your kids an opportunity to spend time outdoors and do physical activities, like swimming, playing with sand, walking the dog, flying kites, or throwing a frisbee.
- Immerse Kids Into Nature
Bringing your kids closer to nature is also an effective way to keep them active. You can immerse them into nature by taking them with you to go hiking in the mountains, fishing on ponds or lakes, sightseeing and spotting wildlife in the forest, or swimming at the beach.
The more engaged they are in nature, the more curious they become, eventually encouraging them to pursue more outdoor activities. Best of all, spending more time with nature brings numerous health benefits for your kids, including boosting their moods, reducing stress and depression, and building confidence.
- Involve The Kids On Chores
Another way to encourage physical activities for your kids is to let them join in the household chores. After all, there’s no reason why adults are the only ones to do chores in the house. If your kids are old enough to use screens, then they’re definitely old enough to do chores, too.
For starters, you can split the chores and give them the easier ones, such as sweeping the floor, wiping the tables, or rearranging the dining chairs. Once they get used to doing chores around the house, you can soon let them join in washing the dishes, tending the garden, and doing the laundry. Telling them to clean up and declutter their bedrooms is also an excellent way to encourage them to be active.
- Walk Or Bike To School
Most parents would often prefer driving their kids to school to prevent them from being late. But, if the school is just a walking distance from your home, consider letting your kids walk or bike their way into school. Most communities nowadays are creating safe routes for children, especially for young bikers.
If you worry about your child’s safety walking or biking alone, it might be a good idea to pair them with an older kid or an adult to walk or bike with them to school. If you have time, you can also walk or bike your kids to school. Walking or biking a few times a week can do wonders for their overall health.
- Motivate Them To Join After-School Activities
If you notice your child playing sports at home (e.g., playing a ball, kicking a soccer ball), consider letting them join after-school activities. This will not only keep them active every day, but this will also help them excel at the sports they like.
Meanwhile, if your kids don’t excel at any sports activity, you don’t need to force them into it. There are still other after-school activities in which your child may fit into. Perhaps, they want to join a dance class, the track team, the music or instruments club, or study karate. If you have time, attend some of your children’s practices so they’ll see how you enjoy the sports or activities they’re into.
Takeaway
Overall, the best way to raise active kids is to set an example. Through these tips, you can help them lead an active and healthy lifestyle, which they’ll surely bring with them when they reach adulthood.
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