There is a way to practice physical exercise while still taking care of your children: do it with them. In addition to being a lot of fun, it is beneficial for everyone.
Alfred Hitchcock said that there was nothing more difficult than filming with animals or with children. Many parents would agree that their children also don’t make it easy for them to get the exercise they want. But there is a solution: do it with them.
Thus, parents manage to stay in shape and at the same time serve as an example to children, on whom the threat of obesity weighs (one in three school-age children already has more weight than they deserve).
Exercise not only burns calories but also helps to disconnect from worries, favors body and mind to harmonize and, if done as a family, enhances good communication and joy.
In addition, children learn best (to exercise and, in general, to relate, decide or create) when all their senses are stimulated at once, which happens when performing a physical activity.
The type of proper exercise depends on the age of the creature. It is not advisable to take a baby younger than 6 months as an exercise partner, because his neck does not have enough strength to support the head.
But from that age the baby can move playfully in the water and even learn to coordinate arms and legs better through certain exercises.
CAN YOU EXERCISE WITH CHILDREN?
In any case, doing a little exercise together has to make the child funny. It cannot be an obligation because then the effects can be more negative than positive.
Instead of proposing to “do a little exercise” it is convenient to tell him that “let’s play” or “let’s meet other children”.
On the other hand, children, especially the youngest ones, do not want or make sense to reach the limit of their strength. Therefore, when they do not want to continue, their decision must be respected without pressuring them, no matter how much the adult is interested in squeezing themselves.
When exercising with children, it is necessary to take into account their physiological, maturation and growth characteristics, which determine the type of training that can be performed:
- Children have a higher heart rate than adults.
- You have to pay attention to their subjective feeling of tiredness, because they rarely lie in this aspect.
- Special attention should be paid to overweight children.
- It is better to err on the side of moderate than to overdo it with the intensity of exercise.
- You should never train a child with a plan designed for an adult, even if you intend to adapt it.
- Priority should be given to aerobic resistance training (moderate, long-term exercise that works the respiratory system and the heart) over anaerobic exercises (which require very brief but intense muscular effort).
HOW TO EXERCISE WITH CHILDREN
- Family yoga. Many yoga schools offer courses for children and parents. Teachers often encourage children to play the role of animals or plants; So, the class becomes fun for them. In the case of opting for a yoga course, it is important that parents practice at home the postures learned, which are valid for adult beginners.
- Tennis. It is indicated for those who do not feel comfortable practicing team sports. You can do balls with children, without taking it too seriously, let them give a few balls or allow them to practice against a pediment wall. Tennis promotes coordination, responsiveness and speed. In addition, the child learns to know the responses of the ball, which can serve as a basis for other sports.
- Swimming. The water is ideal for very active children, because in it they can vent freely and without hurting themselves. Swimming is among the main preventive sports: it strengthens the muscles in general and that of the back, chest and abdomen, in particular. It is very important that children start learning the correct techniques of each style because then the vices are difficult to correct and can cause physical discomfort.
- Cycling. Going outdoors and walking at a pedal pace is very attractive for everyone. The advantage of the bicycle is that it does not stick to a court and is practiced sitting. Make sure that the size of the bike is the most adapted to the age and height of the child.
- Football. The advantage of the “king sport” is that the interest of most children is assured. In addition, he works sometimes amazing transformations: some individualistic children become excellent teammates or the quiet ones bring out their genius. On the physical level, football promotes mobility, reaction and strength. Playing to score goals, to dodge and to run with the ball are always fun games.
- Inline skating. Although it is not a media success, this activity delights children. Skating strengthens most of the large muscle groups and, in addition, promotes coordination. For everyone, but especially for children, it is very important to use protections: knee pads, wristbands, helmet and elbow pads.
It is best not to choose one proposal and discard the others but to try several to enjoy the advantages of each one and improve the coordination of movements.
On the other hand, the goal should be to have fun and build a healthy habit rather than performing the activity with technical perfection or seeking maximum intensity in the effort.
HOW TO EXERCISE WITH A BABY
- Jogging with trolley. In central and northern Europe, it is increasingly common for young moms and dads to run pushing a stroller. It is quite an experience for the child, as long as he is more than 10 months old. You only need a three-wheeled car with good cushioning. It is not recommended that the race exceeds 30 minutes, so that the child does not get bored.
- Activities in the water. They are very interesting for babies: they entertain them, stimulate them and favor their motor development. In addition, they strengthen the muscles, especially the back. Until the first year of life, babies have a natural respiratory reflex: if they are submerged, the airways are automatically blocked and do not let water pass into the lungs. Therefore, the stage that covers from 6 to 12 months is very suitable for babies to learn to swim (or not to forget) without effort or fear. Meanwhile, parents exercise for the sake of accompanying them.
GYMNASTICS EXERCISES FOR TWO
- Back. Lying on their backs, they bend their knees with the soles of their feet resting on the floor. The child sits on the hips, well held by the little hands, and the buttocks are raised until only the shoulders are in contact with the floor. It remains a few seconds in that position breathing calmly and slowly returns to the initial position but without the buttocks touching the ground.
- Abdominals. Lying on their back, with their knees equally bent, the child sits on their hips holding them under their arms. Little by little, the trunk is lifted by bringing the navel inward and pressing the lumbar against the ground. It is thus held for a few seconds, breathing, and returns to the initial position.