Physical activities for kids are as important as eating right and studying. Today’s generation is exposed to umpteen gadgets that heavily contribute to limiting their outdoor time. Added to that, the overload of junk food often leads to childhood obesity issues. It hence becomes important that as parents we inculcate in them the right balanced approach of healthy eating and physical activity.
Tracking their progress to enhance their growing years
I’m a fitness enthusiast and a promoter of healthy lifestyle. I lead a disciplined life and rarely give in to temptation. While I would like my kids to absorb these qualities it would be unfair to curb their appetite and cravings. As a mother, I want them to enjoy carefree binging and screen time as long as they make fitness an integral part of their lives. Wouldn’t you like that too? Let us discuss how to make physical activity fun for kids in India to promote their right growth.
Physical activities for kids achieve a lot more than physical fitness. While I inculcate some fun activities in their routine (that I will elaborate further in this post), I also make it a point to track their growth using PediaSure’s Grow Right tracker. I get a detailed report that tells me how my kids are growing. This way I know that physical activities combined with appropriate nutrition has been helping them grow. With the report I get, I can make necessary changes in their routine and diet. It made me understand the importance of tracking growth. Keeping a check on it regularly helps me figure out on a deeper level what my children need. Before we get into the activities we follow, let me share with you my understanding of why physical activities are important for kids, based on the insights I got by tracking their growth.
Why physical activities for kids are important?
The benefits of physical activity are felt, not seen. Introducing kids to the happy high that comes with sweating it out at an early age will help them grow better and fitter. Additionally, it aids in their holistic development since it sharpens their focus and motor skills too.
- Strengthens heart and lungs – Are we talking about heart health of kids? Yes, and don’t be surprised. Heart is a muscle which performs better when challenged with regular exercise. Active kids have a healthy heart which can be a priceless asset growing up. They also have better lung capacity which facilitates good breathing. This leads to better retention of oxygen and expulsion of carbon dioxide.
- Controls weight – Kids have a high metabolism which often makes them reach out for junk food for a quick fix. They prefer tearing off a packet of banana chips over peeling a banana. Physical activity corresponding to their age and calorie intake will prevent unnatural weight gain. Offering them treats in lieu of some adrenaline pumping playtime is a good idea. Also, tired kids rest and sleep better.
- Better social skills – Remember our childhood days when we played carefree and formed long-standing friendships? Unstructured playtime is one of the best physical activities for kids. It teaches them crucial social skills like giving respect, sharing, acceptance and gender equality. Cricket, hide and seek or our traditional games like Pittu and Chirki evoke extreme sentiments but are great fun.
What are some fun physical activities for kids?
- Sports – Young age is perfect to get kids interested in sports and disciplining them in fitness. They’re quick at grasping and with proper guidance their skills can be developed and honed. Let them discover a sport of their choice and, if possible, get them professional coaching for it. Sportsmanship, healthy competition and acceptance of defeat are qualities that’ll sustain them throughout their life.
- Animal walks – This one is our favourite. Kids love fooling around over serious physical activity anytime. Frog jumps, snake pose, spider crawl, cow pose, dirty dog or donkey kicks are fun to perform and are quite effective. Obstacle course and mountain climbers are good too. The best part is that kids of all ages can try these out. You can bond over them and become the cool parent in no time!
- Dancing! – Do I need to elaborate? Invite their friends over, put on some foot-tapping music and let them dance like there’s no tomorrow. Quick tip: Keep some chilled lemonade ready since they might need it!
Proper growth tracking combined with fun games has improved their emotional well-being as well as physical health. It has also made them smart and confident. Their overall development is after all our biggest aim, isn’t it? How do you track your children’s growth and use it to nurture their development? I hope you give the Grow Right Tracker a try and let me know how it works for you!
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are the personal views of the author. They do not reflect the views of any brand. Any omissions or errors at the author’s end does not assume any liability or responsibility on any party mentioned in the blog.