Exercise for Children
What types of exercise are best for children? My son is ten. He is not overweight, but he is relatively inactive. My daughter is 8, a little overweight, and not particularly physically-oriented. Is cardiovascular and calisthenic exercise the best thing for them right now?
What Not To Do
Stay Away From Too Much Structure
The last thing that bears mentioning is what NOT to do. An 8 or 10 year old has their entire life ahead of them. That means they have the rest of their life to go to work, to be responsible, to raise a family, & to engage in boring exercise activities because it's good for them.
Although I have no doubt that your ideas about cardiovascular exercise and calisthenics come from the best of intentions, do NOT put your kids on the elliptical machine or any other piece of cardio equipment. The reasons for not doing this are numerous enough to write another article of similar length; just believe me when I tell you that cardio equipment for someone this age just teaches their body how to be really stupid.
Calisthenics are better, but you should let the exercise your children get be from a form of play, not work. Do that, and they'll be much more apt to participate whole-heartedly. If they develop an interest as a result of the fun that you have fostered, then you’ve taken a huge step toward your child’s overall development that will enrich their entire life. If their interest develops earlier than later, you just might have a world-class athlete in the making.
Do Not Raise a Couch Potato
If your child does not take immediately to playing outside, you might consider how much X-Box 360 you allow in their lives. There really would be nothing wrong with tossing a ball at them and saying, “let’s go play some catch.”
