If your kid is turning into a couch potato, it is the time now to take a stance and get your couch kid moving with these simple ways.With the development of technology and availability of pastime activities inside the home, most of the kids have turned into couch potatoes. Read on to learn how you can motivate your kid to exercise or have some outdoor games or activities so that he becomes
fit and healthy.
There is so much entertainment today that the kids do not find the urge to play outdoors. This is the reason for the increasing percentage of unhealthy or
overweight children worldwide. The blame can be put on advancement in science and technology which has made the lifestyle of kids sedentary as they are mainly engaged in surfing the internet, playing video games, watching TV shows and many more indoors.
It is important to motivate kids to get some physical exercise so that there is proper balance maintained in life. Obesity leads to varieties of diseases like cardiovascular problems, diabetes, bone and joint problems, social and psychological problems,
sleep apnoea and even cancer. So, you have to encourage your child to have a healthy lifestyle. However, you can persuade your child to get active with the help of following tips and ideas.
Tips to Help Your Couch Kid to Exercise
Let us take a look at some tips to help your couch kid to exercise.
Explain Importance of Exercise
Talk to your kid about the significance of exercise. Kids follow advice only when they understand why the thing is good for them.
Set a Good Example
Kids who see their parents exercising go out and exercise because majority of the kids follow their parents naturally.
Make Exercise a Family Activity
You can have some time allotted for outdoor activities like playing games or simply going on family walks. You can also make a routine of exercising together and stick to it. You can even talk about it and plan out together so that your child finds you a model of what you value.
Make a Routine
Exercising or taking deep breaths once in a while is not going to do any good. You have to make sure that your child gets going for at least 60 minutes for 5 to 6 days a week.
Make it Fun
Exercising becomes boring if fun is not added to it. You can add music or make the activity enthusiastic so that your child finds everything interesting and enjoys her outdoor session. If your child is not interested in sports, you can opt for dancing, swimming, martial arts or something that is related to your child’s interests.
Fix Couch Time
Make sure your kid spends maximum 1 or 2 hours in front of TV, computer or video games. Also, do not allow your kid to use
Smartphone often.
Do Not Turn On the TV in the Morning
Morning is rush hour and you might find yourself having some extra time if your kid watches TV at that time. Well, this can set a sedentary pattern and you must avoid this.
Make Time for Exercise
If your child does not find time for exercise, cut down her sedentary activities and make a fixed time for exercise for her.
Give your children ball, kites, jumping ropes and such playthings that make them move around right from the time they start moving around. This will encourage physical activity from the beginning.
It is never too late to get started. So, plan and motivate your child to start engaging herself in some or the other physical activity. After all, health is one of the most important things in life. If your child is not interested in sports, you can keep her physically active through individual activities that are away from competition.
What are the risks of being a couch potato? How to make exercises fun for the kids? How can parents motivate kids to exercise? Discuss here.
