Obesity is a growing problem around the world and both young and old are affected equally. The reason behind the problem is growing love for the digital world and ignoring the importance of outdoor play. Sure, it’s hard to get kids to move at times when they’re glued to screens, but believe it or not, it’s worth a try. Not only can you let them move, but you can also make exercise fun for them in the following ways.
Yoga
Yoga is one of the best ways to curb obesity and keep your children healthy and active. You don’t need any fancy business gaming equipment as you just need a little space and a rug and you’re good to go. You must know how to perform yoga and how it improves flexibility, develops coordination, and improves strength. Let me tell you how you can make it fun!
Let children imitate animal poses while doing yoga, such as a cow, a lion, or a cat. If you find it difficult, you can try to make a story of yoga. For example, you would talk about the trees in the story and your kids perform the tree pose or you tell them about a snake and they act like a cobra. They can even move from their mats for a few seconds and make interesting sounds.
Indoor and outdoor activities
You can do indoor and outdoor obstacle courses with them. There are times when you just can’t let your kids go outside, be it because of bad weather or tests. Inside, you can try a pillow, lining up a jump rope, cans or bottles, or a hula hoop. Put several pillows upright and ask your children to jump them 10 times. You can try similar activities with jumping rope and other items that I mentioned.
Now, let’s talk about outdoor obstacle courses! When you take your child to a playground, set some challenges for him, such as swinging ten times, running and covering the entire jungle gym, climbing the ladder or a climbing wall. Ask him to take on all of these challenges at once and to contact you. Also, you can make obstacle courses on your own, like tying a rope somewhere or using skate bases.
If you can’t try any of these, try using adult exercises and become an obstacle course. It sounds strange? Well, you can try doing push-ups yourself and asking your child to jump on you when you’re up. This is not only safe, but also a lot of fun!
Run by parents
Children crave parental attention and are more interested in adult things. Instead of leaving them alone to play, you’d better join them. You can do simple things like go for a walk with them, play their favorite music, and dance or play catch. Plus, you can also look up age specs at your gym and take your kids to group classes with you.
