Exercises For Kids That Will Keep Them Happy And Healthy

Physical activity is important for people of any age, but it’s especially important for children! Because not only does it burn off the excess energy that kiddos are known for, but it can also help to keep them from developing certain health problems that could affect the rest of their life! So today, I’ve put together a list of exercises for kids that your incorporate in your child’s life.

And don’t worry, they’re effective AND fun!

Stretches

Every workout should start with some stretching and end with a cooldown. Even if it’s a low impact one that’s meant for kids. So regardless of what type of physical activity your child is about to do, you should always encourage them to stretch it out.

Age-appropriate stretches include…

• Downward/upward dog
• Tree pose
• And of course, child’s pose

Just make sure that you teach your child the proper form. So they don’t hurt themselves, and also so that they can enjoy the full range of benefits that stretching offers.

Running

Running is probably one of the most popular exercises for kids, as they tend to do it anyway during playtime. Plus, it’s great for their overall health!

But there are some ways that you can make running even more beneficial for your child, such as introducing a variety to the movements.

For instance, you could encourage your child to try skipping or high knees while they’re running. Or you could even challenge them to walk backwards and/or side to side. Because these things will actually help your child build coordination as well.

Jumping

Jumping is also great for kids, although it probably shouldn’t be done for very long. As it is a more intense form of exercise. And additionally, it’s quite easy to encourage children to do because… well… jumping is fun! Even for adults.

I used to do a lot of jumping jacks with my girls when they were young. And we used to do fun jump-related challenges as well. Such as seeing who could hop on one foot the longest (which is great for balance), and who could jump the highest.

You could also try teaching your child to jump rope, because this can help build their coordination and their endurance at the same time.

Crawling

It might sound strange at first, since most kids stop crawling after they exit the toddler stage, but crawling can actually be a great form of exercise for big kids too! Specifically something called the “bear crawl”, where your child walks around with their hands and feet.

This takes coordination and it builds strength. Plus, as your child gets used to the movement, they can even start to race each other in this position for some cardio! Some people even set up little obstacle courses for their kids to bear crawl through.

And of course, most kids find this activity super fun as well!

Squats

It’s worth noting that not all exercises for kids need to be cardio. Just like adults, children need to gain strength and work their muscles too. So exercises like squats, lunges, and even sit-ups can be great additions to your kiddo’s life!

There’s no need to crazy with them, but about ten reps of each exercise will do wonders for your child. And like everything, there are ways to make things like squats fun. You could “race” your child to see who could do their reps the fastest, or even just turn on fun music (this my favorite technique with my girls)!

Just make sure your child is holding the proper form or they won’t get any benefits from the exercise!

Final Thoughts About Exercises For Kids

Before I close out this article, I would just like address a concern that I see many people have in regards to kids exercising. And it is that children shouldn’t have to worry about something like exercise, and incorporating it into their lives will make them self conscious about their weight from an early age….

Let me tell you right now, this isn’t true! Because although I wholeheartedly agree with the fact that kids shouldn’t be worried about their weight, I also know that childhood obesity can be dangerous. And it’s our job as parents to keep that from happening.

Meaning that we should feed our children nourishing meals, make sure they maintain a certain level of physical activity, etc… But that doesn’t mean we have to project that concern onto our children.

We don’t have to frame exercise as this unenjoyable thing that they have to do or else they’ll gain weight, as this will just lead to them having an unhealthy outlook on their bodies in the long run. Instead, we should teach them these healthy habits in a positive way!

We should make sure they understand that they’re exercising so that they feel good, get stronger, and become healthier. That way exercise is never about aesthetics to them.

Thanks so much for reading this article! I hope if you enjoyed it (and if you’d like to read more about parenting and home management) that you’ll check out some of my other articles. Such as this one about doing yoga with your kids.

And as always, don’t forget to leave a comment if you’d like to add something to the conversation.