Being determined to getting your kid to exercise is one of the best things you can do to make him or her form good habits in life and encourage healthy behaviours. In contrast, not getting enough exercise can be extremely prejudicial to your kid´s health and well-being, especially in the long run. This is no overstatement. The numbers don’t lie: in Australia, 1 in 4 kids are considered overweight or obese, and it doesn’t end here.
You would never want your kid to take up smoking. But shocking as it might be, obesity is ahead of smoking in the list of highest contributors to the burden of disease.
Unfortunately, most kids in Australia don’t exercise sufficiently and get the 1 hour exercising they need daily.
Not getting enough physical activity is also linked to complications such as mood swings, deteriorating performance at school, an increase in the risk of diseases and trouble sleeping.
Fortunately, the benefits of getting your kid to exercise are numerous, such as better physical and mental health, sociability and even confidence.
Here are a couple of things you can do to encourage your child to take up exercising or doing it more frequently:
- Activities should be fun and varied. Let’s face it. Even we adults can get bored with repetitive tasks. Spicing things up with different exercises means your kid is likely actually to have fun doing it.
- Involving the whole family. Exercising is more dynamic and provides an excellent opportunity to bond and socialize when done in a group.
- Asking your kids help out with tasks that involve some degree of physical ability.
- If you decide to take your child to a fitness centre, it is essential to choose one with programs catered to kids and different ages.
We at HI REPS offer a program based on different objectives such as developing your child’s athletic abilities, improving fitness and building confidence.
We are also a registered Active Kids program through Services NSW so it means you can be assured your kid is getting professional and responsible care.
To find more about our Active Kids program check out our Active Kids Page here