You feel guilty – trust me, I know the feeling.
You’ve been waiting for your child’s school sports to return and they just haven’t. Other events like monthly Peamans, LavaKids and Keiki Dash races have either been canceled for the time being or turned into a virtual event. You worry your child may not be getting enough exercise as they slouch on the couch with a laptop, iPad or cell phone staring into the virtual abyss.
Having been faced with the juggling act for the past 10 months of not only being a parent, but also your child’s teacher, counselor and playdate – trust me, I understand – you now find yourself wearing the hat of a PE teacher and weekend coach. The pressure is on to create a well-rounded environment for your child but you already feel overwhelmed and mentally exhausted as you are also not getting adequate exercise.
Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend children get at least 60 minutes of activity every day for growth and development. However, only one in four children get the recommended 60 minutes of daily exercise and their activity levels drastically decrease as a child’s age and grade level increase.
Going through a pandemic with social distancing protocols in place hasn’t been easy, as I too find myself lagging behind. Luckily there are numerous websites that focus on exercise, and I have found the AAP Parenting Website, healthychildren.org, to be helpful with explaining the many benefits of physical activity and ways to encourage children to be active.
“Being physically active means moving enough to breathe heavily, be short of breath, feel warm, and sweat. Exercise is vital to the health and wellbeing of children.
Physical activity helps build and maintains healthy bones, muscles, and joints, for example.”
It can help keep a healthy body mass index and reduce the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease later in life. It can help children fall asleep quickly and sleep well.
“Beyond benefits to the body, physical activity also boosts a child’s mental and behavioral health. It increases a child’s enthusiasm and optimism and boosts self esteem, school performance, attention and behavior. It also reduces anxiety, tension and depression. It can also foster teamwork and friendship when it’s part of an organized sport.”
Parents can encourage their child to become more physically active by emphasizing the “fun” in the activity, choosing an activity that is developmentally appropriate, planning ahead and making exercise a family priority. Be a role model. Children who regularly see their parents enjoying sports are more likely to do so themselves.
So, start a routine – it’s never too late. Children love routines and will quickly follow your lead. Even with social distancing guidelines in place you can still take them to a nearby park in the afternoon, hiking on the weekends, or go for a short jog or walk after dinner.
Create a backyard obstacle course or an indoor circuit consisting of jumping jacks, running in place, and burpees.
Remember to make it fun. Exercising does not need to be regimented and can be squeezed in any time of the day. They will enjoy it and be consistent, and you will too.