Does getting your kids off the couch and away from the TV ever seem like you’re fighting a losing battle? If so, you’re not alone—statistics show that only one in three children are physically active on a daily basis. Getting your kids to move more doesn’t have to end in defeat, though. With these tips you’ll have them up and active in no time!
- Make It a Family Affair
Your kids will be much more likely to stay active if you’re making an effort to move more yourself. Exercise is a great way to spend time as a family, and by setting an example you’re providing them with healthy habits they can emulate.
- Encourage Them to Participate in Team Sports
Team sports are great for a couple reasons. They teach your kids valuable lessons about teamwork and responsibility, but they’re also great for encouraging them to stay consistent with their physical activity. Regularly scheduled practices make exercise a matter of obligation instead of a matter of being “in the mood” to work out. Your kids are also much more likely to enjoy this form of exercise because they’re getting to spend time with friends and classmates.
- Give Them More Fitness Opportunities
If your kids don’t have the proper opportunities to be active, then it only makes sense that they won’t be! Keep it simple and inexpensive, though—things like regular trips to the park can be more than enough to get your children interested in physical activity. Investing in some basic sports equipment like jump ropes, balls, or water guns can help keep them interested as well.
- Make Fitness a Game
You don’t necessarily want to trick your kids into exercising, but sometimes you’ve got to help them forget that’s what they’re doing. Turning workouts into a game, complete with prizes and friendly competition, can sweeten the deal and make your children more likely to hop off the couch voluntarily.
- Negotiate with Them
Bribery is a harsh word, but sometimes it’s the only thing that works. If your children just can’t bear to part with the couch and television, then make them an offer they can’t refuse! 30 minutes of television for every hour of physical activity is a fair trade-off, and sometimes it’s the only thing that can get kids out the door and on the move.
