AICR
Summer is coming to an end, much to the dismay of many children. For parents though, this means BACK TO SCHOOL! It can be tricky to incorporate physical activity back into the school-day routine yet it’s important to encourage daily activity. There are many benefits physical activity offers children, including buidling strong bones and weight control. Developing healthy habits when young can also help kids grow into active adults, which lowers risk for adult cancers and other chronic diseases.
Let’s get active! Make sure to include both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities to work all parts of the body. Some aerobic activities to try include: swimming, brisk walking, jogging, running, bicycling, and jumping rope. Try gymnastics, hockey, soccer, volleyball or climbing stairs for a muscle-strengthening activity. There are so many options available for children to choose.
Government guidelines recommend children and teens get 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Try to include 3 days of vigorous intensity activities to allow children to become familiar with variety.
Use these ten steps to get your child active.
1. Start them young.
2. Set a good example.
3. Make it enjoyable.
4. Trade screen time for physical activity.
5. Break it up.
6. Plan it out.
7. Encourage your children.
8. Don’t give up!
9. Choose age-appropriate activities.
10. Sleep counts.
Always remember to keep your child involved in choosing the activities they will do. Print this activity tracker and have your child make note of his or her daily activity. You can click the image below for a high-resolution pdf. Seeing their progress will help to keep them interested and encourage them to continue being active well into the future! Keep up with the latest research on children, tips for healthy families and more with our monthly newsletter.
