Most adults associate fitness and exercise with a trip to the gym, a yoga or spin class, a run on the treadmill, bootcamp or crossfit. We keep our eye on the prize and imagine our reward for a hard workout that might sting a bit. We picture a new body with less fat, toned abs, and strong arms and legs.

 

Kids don’t see it the same way. They think of exercise a little differently. They think of it as playing and having fun, being physically active and moving around. They like to laugh when they exercise. Kids often exercise without even knowing it when they’re playing with other children, riding bikes, or kicking a soccer ball.

 

This is the key to getting your kids moving. The best way to keep your kids excited about fitness exercises is to get them moving without them being the wiser. The more fun you can make it, the more likely they are to associate fitness exercises for kids with playtime and fun.

 

When planning fitness exercises for children, remember to keep them motivated with exercises that mimic the playful physical activities they naturally engage with. You want to incorporate movements and poses that will make children forget that they’re exercising because they’re having so much fun.

 

Most of us think exercise requires a big time commitment, but this isn’t necessarily the case. While it’s true that 20 to 30 minutes of exercise is great for overall metabolic conditioning, even 10-minute sessions of exercise will help increase kids’ endurance and flexibility. If you come up with a number of sessions, you can string them together later on for a longer workout, and shuffle them around to keep it exciting.

 

Always begin fitness exercises for children with a warm up period to gradually increase the heart rate. Brisk walking or light jogging are both low-impact ways to boost kids’ metabolisms and set the stage for more intense exercise.

 

Easy kid exercises

 

Running is one of the most basic forms of exercise and is perfect for parks with large open areas. Try these running exercises:

 

  • Relay races
  • Skipping
  • Running in place
  • Running with high knees
  • Running in multiple directions

 

Use your imagination to mix things up. You can also try adding in some jumping exercises like jumping jacks, criss-cross feet, and one-foot hops.

 

As your kids run and jump, encourage them to lift their legs as high as they can. Each time they reach higher they will increase their stamina. The goal is to get your kids playing and laughing without realizing that they’re building muscle strength and cardio endurance at the same time.

 

The best part is that you’ll be spending time together laughing and enjoying these fun exercises for children. You may even want to get your own workout in! Enjoy!

 

To find out about our In-Home training, visit www.energeticjuniors.com or contact bonita@energeticjuniors.com or call 212-879-1566.