Most adults can remember a time in their life that there was no “exercise”, but it was probably also the time in their life when they were most active.  As a kid, we didn’t have to go to the gym to do a “workout”…nor were we even the slightest bit concerned about “getting in shape”.  As a kid we just played, right?  We played ball outside in the crisp spring air, we played tag inside on a rainy day, we played with all of our friends at recess every day at school.  Playing came in many forms:  hide-and-go-seek, hopscotch, four-square, kickball, dodgeball, dungeons and dragons, cops and robbers….the list could go on forever!  Playing was fun as a kid, an activity we all looked forward to.  But then somewhere along the path of growing up, “playing” was quickly replaced with “exercise”.  And with that transition it seems like the fun was sucked out and substituted with pain, anguish, and guilt.  I will continue with this discussion about this transitional phenomenon from play to exercise in a future blog, but today we are going to focus on having FUN.  This is the essential ingredient when it comes to kids and exercise…oops, I mean playing!

From birth, kids need to play and be active; after all our bodies are designed to move!  There are many benefits for kids who lead an active life.  Kids who are active will:

-       Develop stronger bones & muscles

-       Have a leaner body with the ability to better control body fat later in life

-       Be less likely to become overweight as they grow up

-       Have a decreased risk of developing Type II diabetes

-       Have a decreased risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol

-       Sleep better at night

-       Have a better outlook on life

-       Be able to better handle physical and emotional challenges

Obviously this list is not all encompassing, but you can see the enormous benefit of starting kids on a healthy lifestyle path when they are young.  It isn’t surprising that many of these benefits also carry over to being healthy adults.

Similar to adults, kids should focus on activities that emphasize three main objectives:  endurance, strength, and flexibility.  Endurance refers to building up a child’s cardiovascular system so that their bodies are able to efficiently deliver oxygen throughout their bodies during playtime.  In “kid terms”, this simply means being able to run from other kids during a game of tag or being able to run to catch the bus in the morning.  Building up strength is also an important goal for kids.  However, kids do not necessarily need to be in the gym pumping iron in order to develop strength.  Since a kids body is growing and constantly changing, young kids (under the age of 8 and even through puberty) should not partake in strength exercises using free weights or machines.  Instead, kids should focus on regular playtime activities that help develop strong muscles as well as calisthenic-type exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups and jumping jacks that only utilize their body weight for resistance.  Again, in “kid terms”, building their strength equates to being able to scale the monkey bars without falling off or being able to do a handstand. Finally, the last component kids should focus on is flexibility.  Unlike most adults, however, kids will gain flexibility through their daily activities.  A majority of adults have sedentary jobs that require repetitive movements (typing on a keyboard, talking on the phone, etc) that actually promote and encourage inflexibility.  If kids are allowed to be sedentary (playing video games, watching TV, playing games on the computer, etc) they too will develop similar inflexibilities in their joints and muscles.  However, if kids remain active as they grow, they will keep their muscles loose and flexible.  In “kid terms” being flexible means they are able to bend over and tie their shoes or being able to do the splits in gym class.

Now that we understand the benefit of adopting an active lifestyle, how much activity do kids need?  According to the National Association for Sport & Physical Education, there are general guidelines that parents should follow:

Infants:  no specific activity requirements, rather focus on motor development skills

Toddlers: 1 ½ hrs per day (30 min of planned activity and 60 minutes of “free play”)

Preschool: 2 hrs per day (60 min of planned activity and 60 minutes of “free play”)

School Age: 1 hr or more per day (can be broken into shorter bouts of activity)

Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly encourages parents to limit the amount of sedentary time a child has during the day.  They state that infants and young children should not be inactive for more than 1 hour at a time, unless they are sleeping.  They also suggest that children under the age of 2 do not watch any TV at all.  Children over the age of 2 should have no more than 1-2 hours of screen media (TV, videos, computer, etc) time during the day.  Further, the American Academy of Pediatrics cites that over the past 30 years the percentage of overweight/obese kids has doubled.  They feel it is a direct result of kids being more sedentary and not incorporating proper amounts of playtime and activity.  In fact, a recent study showed that on average kids watched 3 hours of television per day and accumulated a total of 5 ½ hours of screen media per day!  Parents should be challenged to encourage an active lifestyle for their kids – instead of taking the easy road out by allowing kids to be entertained by computers and television.

Here are some easy tips to help foster an active lifestyle for our kids…and our future:

-       Help kids participate in age-appropriate activities

-       Establish a regular schedule for physical activity, so that kids expect it

-       Incorporate more activity into their daily routines, such as walking to school or taking a family walk after dinner

-       Parents need to be good role models by embracing a healthy lifestyle themselves

-       FUN!  FUN!  FUN!  Whatever you call it…playtime, activity, or exercise…make it fun!  This will keep kids coming back for more and help kids adopt healthy behaviors that will stick with them the rest of their life!