Getting Kiddies Into Sports And Exercise

 Having a son who has played rugby for the best part of ten years and a daughter who is never still and always on the go, getting my children to be more active has never been an issue I've had to deal with really.

OK, during lockdown it was a little bit more of a struggle, especially with the teen having a period of time where he was just so demotivated with everything (can't blame him there really!) but he came around and then he chose to utilise his exercise time to walk or run and then built up his own make shift gym at home.

However I know the topic can be a real tricky one for some families, especially with all the screen time you have to be fighting with (or not, because sometimes you have to just choose your battles don't you...!) to get them moving.

I stumbled across a few "get the kiddies healthy" hints and I thought it might be useful to share...

Feed The Right Fuel...

Don't get me wrong, we're partial to the odd Maccy D's in this house but if I were to feed them to my son everyday and then expect him to go rugby training four evenings a week and then play a full game once a week, well, it's a considerable ask to say the least and he just wouldn't manage.

To reach his full potential he knows his diet should be filled with vitamins, minerals and stable energy and we realise that having a lot of processed junk food from an early age can have a disastrous effect on both physical and mental well-being long term, whereas opting for a nutritious, natural wholefoods diet will give them a whole load of the everything they need to thrive. 

Be A Good Role Model...

An exercise coach I regularly watch always asks who is watching? Who is watching you when you are training and taking care of yourself? Who are you setting an example to?

And it's so true - parents are a child's main role model, and little ones will likely aim to follow and mirror many different actions that you complete so it makes for the perfect opportunity - as you can establish your own positive relationship with sport and exercise - that they can see and copy.

Make an effort to show your children that you benefit from and enjoy exercise, encouraging them to follow in your footsteps to make the same healthy choices.

Encourage Them To Join A Team...

Encouraging your child to join a sport or exercise team or group is a brilliant way to introduce them slowly into the world of working out - they will focus more on the fact that they are playing with their friends rather than exercising.

My son started rugby training when he was just five years old and it was made fun and enjoyable all of the time - he loved standing proud in his rugby team kit with all of his friends around him - he never even consider the full game minutes of running and jumping as anything other than a match with his friends.

Make Exercise Part Of Your Schedule...

But all of these tips are very well, only if - as the parent, the decision maker - you add that exercise in to the schedule.

Take less time to sit in front of the TV after eating dinner and plan in an evening walk with the children instead?

Spend less time in the morning in bed, get up and pop to the local park for a run around?

Children will rarely request opportunities for sport and exercise, so provide it for them! 

Introducing your children to sport and exercise has never been so simple...