7 Activities Which Improve Your Kids’ Health
Being kid is a phase of hyperactivity involving both physical and mental workout and growth. Kids have high levels of energy which they tend to utilize in their different physical and mental activities all day long.
Children of every age love to be involved in physical activities and try and learn new things. The physical activity being necessary for children of every age group yet the duration and requirements for each are different. Being physically active is not only good for body health of children, but it also guarantees their mental growth and development.
Benefits of Healthy Kid Activities
There are several benefits associated with the healthy physical activities of kids some of which are,
- Keeps their heart and lungs strong
- Develops immunity to diseases
- Healthy mental growth and brain development
- Increases flexibility
- Strong Bones
- Healthy and positive thinking
- Improves their social interaction and behavior
- Maintain healthy body weight and prevention from obesity
- Develop new skills
- Develops and improves self-confidence
- Lowers risk of several diseases
- Improves and develops social skills
How to Involve Children in Healthy Activities:
Experts recommend that age and interest should be considered while selecting a suitable activity or toy for a child. Preferences of children tend to change and differ with growing age. Consider the following factors while choosing some exercise for a kid.
- Let your kid be involved in structured and unstructured sports and activities
- Consider the child’s age, interest, and development stage
- Always keep a factor of fun and learning for the children
There are activities which have different involvement level depending on their difficulty level and complexity.
Vigorous Activities – Fast running and swimming
Moderate Level Activities – Brisk walking and bicycle ride
Normal Level Activities – activities which strengthen bones and muscles like jumping and playing some ball game such as basketball, football, and tennis
Typical Activity duration for different age groups:
Children of different age groups have different minimum daily activity requirement, a look at the below table will be helpful to have some insight.
Infants (0-1 Year) – physically active when not sleeping, activities include pushing, pulling, grabbing, reaching, crawling, etc.
Toddlers (1-2 Years) – 180 minutes of physical activity throughout the day including running, walking, etc.
Preschoolers (3-5 Years) – 180 minutes of activity and at least 60 minutes of vigorous activity by the age of 5 years, running, jumping, swimming, catching, throwing, bicycle riding, etc.
Kids (6-9 Years) – at least 60 minutes every day, vigorous activity 3 days a week, playing soccer, gymnastics, basketball, skating, skiing, and baseball.
Children (10-12) – at least 60 minutes regular activity and rigorous and regular activity thrice a week, team sports, lift lighter weights with supervision, hiking, martial arts, etc.
7 Activities which Improve your Kids Health
There are several healthy activities which are not only beneficial for the physical health of children but also mental growth and development. But special precautions must be taken during these activities and children must be following adult supervision.
Proper safety measures should also be exercised such as helmet, goggles, knee pads, shoes, etc. during the activities and child’s age and capacity should always be considered before involving him in any activity.
- Bicycle Riding
Riding bicycle is one of the best activities for children of different age groups. It is not only fun but also a diverse and exciting experience for them. It is suitable for their lungs, heart and body muscles development. An appropriate size according to age should be selected for the kid along with proper safety measures and adult supervision.
- Swimming (water sports)
Swimming is another perfect and healthy activity for children of almost all ages. It is not only good but also a fun packed activity. Kids love to play in water and swimming is right for their body muscles and lungs too. Children who are less than four years should not be involved in swimming. Instead, they can be allowed to play in a shallow water tub with proper supervision.
- Car washing
The car wash is an also a healthy and fun packed activity which not only involves a moderate muscular exercise but also develops a sense of cleanliness and responsibility. Kids love to play in the water and making bubbles, and car wash is one of their favorite job to do.
- Gardening
Gardening is a perfect activity for children as it not only develops their interest in nature, plants and their importance and benefits for humans and our planet. Children usually love to help elders while watering plants or cutting grass and planting trees. It supports their muscle development, mental growth and develops positive thinking.
- Cooking & Minor Household tasks
Children love to get involved in minor household tasks such as cooking, buying groceries from stores and helping mother and dad in different ways. This not only develops their thinking but also understanding different daily life tasks and methods of handling them. Develop importance of good hygiene, food, and nutrition in a healthy life.
- Walking, Running & Hiking
Walking, running, hiking is one of the most beneficial activities for children. It is helpful for their muscles, bones, joints, heart, lungs and brain development. Also, children should be encouraged to join parents in morning or evening walk and using stairs instead of an elevator.
It is also a good idea if children can walk to their school along with an adult family member instead of car or bus.
- Ball Sports (Soccer, Basketball, Tennis)
Organized sports played using a ball such as a basketball; soccer and tennis are very healthy activities for children physical and mental growth and health. These games are not only healthy but also develop useful skills like coordination, teamwork, patience, and endurance among the kids.
Some other healthy activities can be used for improving kids health such as bowling, skiing, skating, martial arts, etc. to name a few.
Things to Remember:
The things not to be forgotten is always to monitor your child’s activities and performance so that you may be able to track your child’s performance and activities and whether he needs any guidance or support from you. In some cases, you would not be able to support your children as they may need some real advice. Thus, an expert Physics tutor is the right person that can guide your children for the right moves in the most appropriate way which can build up your child in a positive manner.
Take also very good care of child’s food and nutrition. Any signs of degraded health or performance should be taken into account, and remedial measures should be considered in time to prevent any physical or mental loss to the child.
This article was with contribution from a reputable tution agency in Singapore, https://smiletutor.sg