Fitness - Exercise for Children

For children, exercise means playing and being physically active, as in gym class at school, soccer practice or dance lessons. Everyone can benefit from regular exercise. A child who is active will:


    They feel less stressed
    Feel better
    Be more attentive in school
    Maintain a healthy weight
    Build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints
    Sleep better at night


In addition, regular exercise helps children cope with the physical and emotional challenges that a typical day this if it means running to catch a bus, bending over to tie a shoe, or studying for an exam.

Parents should encourage their children to a variety of activities for them to work on the three elements of fitness, namely: (1) strength, (2) the strength and (3) flexibility.

Resistance
Resistance develops when a person participates regularly in aerobic activities. During aerobic exercise, the heart beats faster and a person breathes harder. When done regularly and for continuous periods of time, aerobic activity strengthens the heart and improves the body's ability to carry oxygen to all the cells. Examples of aerobic activity include: basketball, cycling, football, swimming and athletics. In the language of the child, the resistance is like "flee the child who is" it "for a game of tag."

Force

Improved strength does not mean lifting weights. Push-ups, sit-ups, push-ups and other exercises to tone and strengthen muscles. Kids also incorporate strength activities in their play when they climb, do a handstand, or wrestle. In the language of the child, the force is necessary to "clear the bar."

Extension

Stretching exercises help improve flexibility, allowing muscles and joints to bend and move easily through its full range of motion. Children are opportunities every day to stretch when it comes to getting a toy out of reach, practice a split, or to turn on the couch. In the language of children, flexibility is what is necessary to "bend to tie his shoes."

Thirty to sixty minutes of exercise a day is enough to strengthen bones and muscles and prevent children from becoming overweight. Parents can set a good example by being active themselves. Exercising together can be fun for everyone. Competitive sports can help kids stay physically active. Walk or bike to school, bowling, dancing and swimming are other fun ways for kids to exercise.