As adults, it’s easy to get stressed out over daily activities and unplanned events that occur. But what about kids? Did you know they can get stressed out just as easily dealing with their day-to-day activities and in some cases unconsciously taking on our problems? Learning to move and get daily exercise can help children deal with the stresses of everyday life, stay healthy, and deal with day-to-day activities with ease. Unlike adults who make time to go for a run or hit the gym, kids’ exercise comes in a little differently such as playing outside or through sports.
Benefits of Exercise
We all know the standard benefits of exercise, help keep weight under control and allows us to release energy. According to Revere Health, ”Staying physically fit early in life can prevent potential conditions from developing, and it helps children stay positive and energetic”. These healthy habits started at a young age will go with them into adulthood. As children exercise, they develop endurance, strength, and flexibility. Regular exercise can help lower the risks of obesity, build stronger muscles and bones, increase happiness, and lower stress in kids and adults. Being physically active also helps support a healthy immune system, as well as lessens the chance of injuries or minimizes the severity of the injury. Additionally, these benefits and more will carry on into adulthood with benefits such as preventing heart disease, keeping a healthy weight, and lowering blood pressure.
Add a Little Yoga Into Your Life
Yoga is a great way for children to relax, increase flexibility and develop inner strength. No matter what sports or type of exercise your child gets, adding yoga into any routine is beneficial. Kids carry stress in their upper back, neck, and shoulders, the same as adults. Yoga is not only important in developing flexibility but also in the mind-body connection. Teaching your kid to deal with stress through yoga poses helps them learn to deal with unpleasant situations when they occur. It helps them shake off the negative and bring in the positive through yoga moves and breathing exercises. Online resources like GoZen offer a fun way to teach kids yoga poses, yoga poses that are not only beneficial to the child but to you as the parent.
How Can Parents Help?
Parents are important key players when it comes to keeping your child healthy. First and foremost, it is important to teach your child through example. If they see you active, they are more likely to develop healthy active habits. Another way you can help your child to develop healthy habits is to limit screen time. Kids get so into video games, cell phones, and online apps, they lose interest in activities that make them move. Do activities together, like yoga, walking, swimming, or going for a hike. Develop a regular routine. In the morning, wake up and do some yoga poses together before the day begins. Go for a walk together, walk the dog every morning, every evening together. What is your child interested in? Get them involved in team sports or if they would rather do individual sports like gymnastics or dance, sign them up. The key is to stay active and if they like the sport, they are more likely to continue the healthy habits associated with the sport.
Life gets busy but it’s important that kids learn early on how to deal with the roller coaster of life. Getting exercise on regular basis helps kids to develop healthy habits from the beginning. Being active helps them deal with stressful situations a little easier when they occur, and in life, they will occur at some point, no matter how much we want to shelter our kids. As they get older it may be a major project due, to problems with friends, or trouble at home. As parents, it is our job to make sure our kids are taken care of. This goes beyond the food on the table, roofs over their heads, and clothes on their back. It’s our responsibility as their parents to make sure they get the proper nutrition and exercise. As such, these kids grow into well-rounded adults able to deal with all life throws at them.
About the Author
Stephanie Caroline Snyder graduated from The University of Florida in 2018; she majored in Communications with a minor in mass media. Currently, she is an Author and a Freelance Internet Writer, and a Blogger.