How to incorporate 60 minutes of exercise into your child’s day!
Busy. Busy with work. Busy with school. Busy with parties. Life in this day in age is BUSY. So how is your child supposed to get in the CDC recommended 60 minutes of daily exercise? It may be easier than you think!
Incorporate movement into games
The easiest and most fun way to get some movement in is to camouflage movement into play. In CrossFit kids, we regularly do this, and kids don’t seem to notice that they are full-on sweating during Wacky Uno. Here are 3 games you can play at home with your child to get them moving!
Wacky Uno- Grab a deck of UNO cards and assign certain movements to colors (red: burpees, blue: air squats, etc.). Once your child pulls a card, he/or she will do the movement. How many times? It will be whatever number is on the card. They will expect you to join in, of course, and before you know it, they will be laughing when you get a ton of pushups!
Pizza Game- Grab a paper or plastic plate and get in an open area! The living room or front yard is an excellent choice. You will put your plate on top of your palm as if you are a pizza delivery guy going to his next destination. The goal is to move around with your pizza without it getting knocked off by the other family member. One piece of advice- take it easy on the smaller family member!
Hide and Seek- This game is a classic, and there are tons of ways to change it up. Have your child bear crawl, hop or skip to their hiding place. If they are found in less than X amount of time, they get a “penalty” of 5 burpees. Was their hiding place too good? Bad news… now you are the lovely recipient of those burpees!
Get outside
Whether you do something right outside your home, or venture out, going outside is great for the body and soul. Going for a walk, jumping on the trampoline, and going on a scavenger hunt are all easy ways to get movement in while staying close to home. Feeling spritely? Our area has tons of outdoor areas including The Arboretum, Boorman Trail, and our personal favorite, the duck pond at Mobberly. When our family is there, I feel the hustle and bustle of my mind leave and peace sets in. In the summer, the splash pad and swimming pool are great options.
Look into a gymnastics or play center
If you’ve exhausted the free of cost options, there are many facilities that provide a chance for your child to play. Gym University often offers open jump time and even has toddler areas. For kids 5 and younger, Raven’s Playland is a great resource. Have the need for speed? The REO Starplex has a nice skate complex and is appropriate for kids, both young and old.
We are kicking off our 6 week Kids Program on Monday. It’s not too late to sign your kid up and join us for some fun exercise! Contact us at 903-238-1046 for more information about our kids program and we will help you and your child get set up:)
Until next time, Coach Laura!