By Colleen Bernardis, Director of Youth Programs
Making Exercise Fun for Kids
Getting kiddos interested in working out can be a challenge, but it is very important to help create healthy habits and a healthy lifestyle. Here are five ideas to help get your child interested in getting exercise, all while having fun!
Participate in exercise with the kids! You are your children’s biggest role models, if you yourself are active, that will encourage your children to be active too as they usually want to do what you do. Have them exercise with you – go on a walk around your neighborhood or take the time to play sports with them.
Invite your kid’s friends to join in on the fun! Having your children’s friends join your kiddos while they are exercising and making it a social activity will help them be more motivated and stick to a routine.
Incorporate your kid’s interests into the exercise! Kids like having fun and the more fun they are having with exercising, the more they will likely do it. If they are really into superheroes, have the kids run, skip, hop, jump like they are on a superhero mission. If they love to dance, turn the music up loud and have a fun dance party.
Make the exercise and activities competitive! If you create a competition and give out a prize the kids would get more into it! Who can do more push-ups? Who can do more jumping jacks? Who can run faster? Kids love working towards things and getting rewarded.
Use your child’s creativity! Have your kiddos come up with different activities to get their bodies moving and have them teach you or take you through a workout. The kids can show you how to do an obstacle course, be the leader in “follow the leader” or teach you a new dance routine.
Use all that Club Greenwood has to offer and use it together! Bring the family to Club Greenwood and use the amenities together. You all can participate in a game of basketball, utilize the outdoor tennis courts, take the kiddos swimming or sign them up for Kids’ Yoga. Once your kiddos are 12 years of age they can join you in our 150+ group fitness classes per week.
Your kids are our future so we encourage them to make fitness a part of their lives – all while having FUN! If you are curious about learning more ideas to get your child more active, consider Club Greenwood Kids’ Programs. We would love to have them!