Video - Fun Exercises for Kids

This short video gives you some exercises that are fun to do with your kids - little kids are always moving, and often instinctively know what types of movement their bodies need. But that internal knowledge can be stifled through sedentary distractions such as TV and video games. These fun movements stimulate imagination and creativity in movement, and get the body moving - and you can do them too - they'll make you feel like a kid again!

Check it out, and next time your kids have been sitting for a while, take a movement break and get up and do some of these together!

Fun Exercises for Kids #213
www.therenegadehealthshow.com We get a bunch of questions about fun exercises for kids, how to exercise with kids and the best kids exercises. So we called on a "resident" expert...

Exercise And Play

Often times, when children return from playing, they look quite exhausted and ready for a nap.  The truth is,  playing is hard work!  It's exhausting to the mind and body of the child, and it plays an important role in helping them to become productive and healthy.

The role of play and exercise in the life of a young child will provide them with several benefits. Exercise is a very important part of keeping the young body fit as it grows into an adult body.  Once we reach adulthood, if we've had the benefits of exercise and play, we will tend to continue that habit well into our adult years.

Playground in Charlton Park. You can join in sports related exercise to get those muscles working.(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Play is also good in the form of participating in organized sports, coordinated play times, and being a member of a large group during all of these types of activities.  Playing on this level will teach us how to interact with peers and perform as a team with our fellow players.  In today's business world, these skills are essential. 

What we learn in body language, coping skills, and the interaction of the mind and body during our interaction with others is invaluable.  When we learn this skills to the fullest, not only will  we learn how to get along with others, but we will also learn how to interact better with ourselves and pay attention to the signals of our bodies.

Although interacting with ourselves may sound like a rather pointless exercise, it is actually an important part of maintaining the best sense of health and wellness.  There will always be times when our bodies are trying to tell us things about our physical or mental condition, which we will simply refuse to listen to.

(Photo credit: Tony Trần)

Through exercise and play, we also learn what our limitations are - both physical and mental.  At times of play, you'll see children and young adults push themselves to their limit and beyond.  As children, we are all more able to distinguish between a real limit versus what society itself calls our limits.

As you can tell, the benefits that are gained from exercise and play time as children will benefit us for the rest of our lives.  As adults, we all too often forget how important both exercise and play are. 

All too often, we want to rush children into their daily responsibilities, forgetting that at their age they need play and interaction for their young minds AND bodies. Be sure your kids are getting plenty of active play time which includes physical exercise.

Keeping Your Kids Fit for Life

Have you ever heard a kid say that they were bored? In case you hadn't noticed, kids have shorter attention spans, and it takes constant stimulation to keep them motivated (which is why kids can become such TV and video game addicts). And, to keep them fit for life, it will take just that if you don’t want boredom to set in.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This nation is facing an epidemic. Obesity has not only taken over the lives of adults but children as well. Technology in part has helped us to become a society that sits rather than moves. This is good for the electronics industry but bad for a long healthy life.

And, if adults aren’t moving about, how are kids going to be expected to? They follow the example set for them. Let’s break the cycle of a sedentary lifestyle and teach our kids how to be fit for life.

Here are some ways that you can get your kids up off the couch and moving each and every day.

* Do something you love – For just about anyone this is the biggest boost to motivation. If you try an activity and it doesn’t work for you, then don’t be afraid to try something else. Kids will be quick to tell you that they don’t like something and probably won’t do it again. Ask them what activities they like to do and  choose one each day to participate in. When you like what you do, it feels natural to do it all the time.

* Don’t think of physical activity as exercise – Instead of saying "Let’s go exercise," say "Let’s go have fun." Exercise can sound like work. Make it fun and kids will forget to be bored and just enjoy themselves. It could be as simple as shooting hoops in the driveway after dinner or riding bikes in the park after school.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

* Exercise WITH your kids – It’s easy to sit back and tell your kids what to do, but what kind of example would that be? Get going with them. Ride bikes together; hike in the woods; play kickball in the backyard. Before you know it, you’ll feel like a kid again. Not only is your child staying motivated but you are as well!

* Invite their friends along – Exercise is great when you have a partner. If you are getting up a pick-up game of basketball, invite your kids’ friends to participate. Activities like this are more fun when you have lots of people. Form a neighborhood team or get involved with a church team. This promotes competitiveness and keeps kids motivated to get moving.

* Set goals – If your child is a little bit heavier than others their age, the goal could be to slim down a bit. Goals give us something to work towards, a motivation for staying fit. Kids can often be motivated by the same types of things as adults.

Want to keep your kid fit and break the epidemic of obesity? Use these ideas to make it happen - and give them a healthier start to life.

Video - Fun Kids Game of Crazyball

Here is a short 6-minute video of a fun game you can play with your kids with just a ball and a wall. It can be played against an inside or outside wall, a garage, or even a fence. It's great exercise, and she gives helpful tips for exercising with kids throughout, including stretching at the end. Keep in mind that, as she mentions, kids naturally exercise in short bursts - so you don't need or want to really make them exercise hard for long periods of time. It won't be fun anymore, and it's really hard on the body too (this goes for adults as well, which is why we so often emphasize the benefits of interval training). Have fun, and let them exercise at their own pace.

Check out the video, and feel free of course to improvise and make up your own rules and variations!

Fun kids game - crazyball with www.DawnBland.com
Youth Fitness. This is an excellent game to play with your child for cardio, speed and hand eye coordination

7 Fun Cardio Exercises for Kids

With all the T.V. shows, computer programs, and video games available now, it’s harder to get kids up and moving anymore.  That’s one big reason why childhood obesity is becoming more and more prevalent.  But getting your child in shape doesn’t have to be a fight; you just have to find activities they enjoy that are good for them as well.  Here are some great workouts that will entertain your kids at the same time - just like you, if kids have fun while exercising, they are more likely to want to do it, and summer is a great time to get them motivated to get active.

Kids playing soccer at beach. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1. Tennis.  If your child isn’t into traditional team sport, then tennis is a great alternative.  It gives a great cardio workout while also working various muscle groups and improving hand-eye and overall coordination.  Plus, even though your child isn’t necessarily working on a team, tennis is a great way to meet and socialize with other kids.

2. Hacky sack.  This is a simple cheap way to get your kids up and moving.  It also teaches coordination, balance, and helps your kids socialize and work together in a group to accomplish something.  Plus, unlike most group sports, there are no teams so children are trying to beat their old records instead of trying to win - a great thing to focus on as they get older and take on other activities as well.   

3. Dance.  Sure, you can enroll your child in dance classes, or you could just turn on the radio a couple times a week and make up silly dances to go along with the songs.  This not only encourages movement, balance, and coordination, it also works out kid’s brains by getting their imaginations going. (My little sister was great at this when she was younger - she would make up whole interpretive dance routines to songs that she liked - which was really fun to watch as well!) 

Dance Dance Revolution (TV video games) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

4. Video games.  Although these have gotten a bad rap in the past few years, physical video games have come a long way since the original Nintendo.  Now there are tons of products available that get your child to stand up and move.  One popular game series is Dance Dance Revolution.  There are also games on the new Nintendo Wii system that encourage physical movement.  These are a fun and entertaining way for your kids to get a workout while they play video games, so if they're stuck inside on a rainy day, they don't have to skip their exercise.  And trust me - these are just as addictive as other video games....    

5. Soccer.  There’s a reason there are so many soccer moms around; because these moms know that soccer is a great way for children to get their heart rate up, improve their footwork skills, learn teamwork, and have fun at the same time.  Plus, if you’re worried about the problem of intense competition, there are many areas with leagues that don’t keep score.  This has always been and still is a great way for your kids to stay in shape. 

6. Swimming.  Doing laps is a great way to get an aerobic workout without causing a lot of wear and tear on your child’s growing bones and joints.  It’s fantastic at increasing endurance and stamina.  Plus, a pool is a great place for them to hang out, play, and meet new kids in the neighborhood during the summer.

7. Jumping rope.  This is a great workout whether it’s done the traditional way, or the newer more fast-paced version.  It improves cardiovascular capacity, works numerous muscles and joints, and helps improve coordination. This can also help your child meet new people, and in some areas it may even be a competitive sport. 

So why not get your child involved in one (or several) of these great activities this summer?  You can even get a workout in yourself by joining them or just helping them practice regularly - that's quality healthy time for the whole family!

Fun Summer Activity: Water Balloons

In the winter everyone loves a good snowball fight - build a fort and stockpile the snowballs and you are set. Kids AND adults can enjoy this fun game - and get some great exercise at the same time. The same idea can be implemented in the summertime too.  If it’s a nice day, just fill balloons with water and have a balloon war! This can be a fun activity for the kids, but why not join in, yourself, as well? Not only will you have fun, spend some family time with the kids, and get some exercise running around, you'll also get to cool off, too.

Water balloons filled with water and ready for use. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But if you don’t like the idea of your kids throwing balloons at each other (or at you), there are other
uses for water balloons that are just as fun.

• Set-up a target and have a competition to see who can hit it the most times.  You can make it a challenge to break the balloon each time or make it harder by setting the rule of hitting the target but not breaking the balloon.
• Play water balloon baseball; replace the baseball with a water-filled balloon.  Of course the person up at bat is going to get wet if they are able to hit the target.  If a child hits the balloon and it doesn’t burst it is considered a strike.  When the balloon is hit and does burst it is an automatic home run.
• A simple game of catch can be fun too.  Trying to catch the balloon without bursting it can be hard – see how long one balloon can be tossed before it breaks.  As you are going to get wet, it is best to play any of these games on a hot day (which I don't think there will be any shortage of this summer).

Clean-up after any game that has involved water balloons is very important.  Small children and pets could pick up the small pieces and choke on them.  You can make picking up the most balloon pieces a game at the end for incentive.  Let the kids know that whoever has the most balloons after they are all cleaned up will get a special surprise. Or, give each a different color of balloon and make it their job to pick up all the balloon pieces that are of their color. This will give them another burst of exercise after the balloon fight has ended.

There are endless fun and creative ways to get some exercise into your day during the summer. Just use your imagination, or if you have kids, or family that has some they'll lend you, ask them what they'd like to do outside, and they'll be sure to have some ideas. We'll also be sharing more of these here throughout the season, so be sure to check back for more fun ways to exercise this summer!

Video - Yoga With the Kids

We usually think of yoga as an adult form of exercise, but yoga can actually be very helpful for kids for focusing, centering, and calming down at the end of the day, or whenever they are trapped inside on a rainy day and need something fun to do. Not only does it give them some exercise, but you can make a fun game out of it - kids love all the animal names of the yoga postures, so loosen up and have some fun with it!  Check out this cool video for some great ideas, and see below for more yoga videos that both you and your children can enjoy together.

Kids Yoga, Raising Healthy Children, kids exercise
juliehammerstein.com Julie Hammerstein is one of the country's leading health experts. As a Certified Nutritionist, she works with families, companies, and individuals helping them breakthrough the myths around diet and exercise and create a whole ne...


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