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Monday, 14 july 2008

Top Ten Physical Activity Tips For Children!

With thanks to Bath and North East Somerset Council

1. Plan a couple of after-school sessions a week that focus around enjoyment and are not too strict but maintain steady effort for up to 30 minutes.
2. Allow the children to teach you a sport or a game – ultimate Frisbee, pogo-stick or hula hoop.
3. Express yourself!!  Children love to express themselves – give them the chance to shine and come out of their shells with dance classes/cheerleading.
4. Keep activity fun – it shouldn’t seem like a chore or punishment.  For younger children, try fun games like tag, cops and robbers or hide-and-seek.  Try to associate activity with having fun from an early age.  If kids like it they will keep it up, so set a good foundation now and it may help them keep it up.
5. Find activities that suit your child.  If you push them to try a sport or activity they don’t like, they may associate activity with negative feelings.
6. Different sports require different combinations of skills.  Ball sports like tennis emphasise hand-eye coordination, while activities like marital arts or skating emphasise balance and body awareness.  Encourage children to try activities that suit their individual strengths.
7. It is important to promote activity, rather than exercise.  Even the small bits of activity that your children do throughout the day will have beneficial effects on their weight.
8. Reduce the amount of time they spend on sedentary activities like watching television, playing video games, surfing the internet or talking on the phone.  Studies have found that the more time children spend watching television, the greater their risk of being overweight.
9. If children are adamant about playing on computer games, encourage the game Wii Fit so they do master the art of feeling good from physical activity.
10. Walk the walk and talk the talk:  Studies show wider family learning is much more effective at getting and keeping children in long term behavioural change.  Get involved in activity with the children.