Oh, the dreaded word exercise. One of the most heavily scrutinized words, and probably one of the most disliked, too. Don’t come for me, but maybe we should focus on helping our children understand the importance of exercise instead of talking about how much we hate to do it.
Most of us see exercise as something we have to do, not something we get to do. I know, I know. Corny and annoying. Stay with me. That small mental shift is huge. What’s that saying? “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right” – Henry Ford. If we shift our perspective and teach our children the importance of what they’re doing, everyone can be much happier.
Below are some exercise tips for kids that we can use to shift our perspectives:
Teach them WHY
Why is it important to exercise? I’m not out here trying to teach my 4-year-old to work out to lose weight… we move our bodies to stay healthy and be so strong! Kids are smarter than we think. Trust me, when they know the why it makes a difference.
Make it FUN
Nobody wants to be bored. Do you do boring exercises? I bet the answer is no. Okay great, your child doesn’t want to either. Who doesn’t love a good dance party? This is a fun way for kids to wiggle and giggle and move their bodies in their own creative way. Some fun exercises we like to do are animal walks and obstacle courses. Examples: frog hops, bear crawl, crab walk, kangaroo jumps, or flying ninja kicks. Be creative! Also, Pinterest has some really cute ideas, just saying.
You do it TOO
I just heard my knees crack as I typed that out. In all seriousness, your child loves doing activities with you. By the end of it, you’ll both be laughing and it’s a memory you’ll both have forever. So, buckle up mama, and get the ice packs ready, we’ve got some hops to hop and ninja kicks to try.
Do YOGA
Mamas, kids oddly enough LOVE yoga. It’s hilarious and so cute. There are fun ways to incorporate yoga like acting like animals, plants, or things like this. Put on a calming song and get your yoga on (and maybe get the ice pack for this one, too)!
At the end of the day, it matters how we teach our children about exercise and the importance of staying active. The goal is to be strong, healthy, and have fun. Trust me, you will all be doing it together soon. Have fun with it, keep the ice on hand, and maybe invest in a supportive bra! You got this, mama!
