When you reach your adult years, you hear all the time about how good exercise is. You should be doing 30 minutes five times a week to help improve the health of your heart, lungs and body in general. However, you may absolutely hate it. This hatred usually comes from your childhood years, and it all comes down to parenting. You can help your children love exercise with a few simple steps.
Start Early
The earlier you start, the easier it will be. Encourage your toddlers to run around outside and get dirty. As they get older, continue to encourage them to get outside and get some exercise in.
It could be through running, or you may have a game that you like to play with them. The habits are ingrained over time, and starting early will really help you with that.
Talk to Them About It
Don’t just push them into doing something they hate. It’s time to sit down and discuss exercise with them. Let them tell you what they already love about it and the things they hate.
It’s also a time to share the benefits of getting out there and doing exercise, instead of sitting around and playing video games the whole time.
Encourage Them to Do Something They Love
Don’t make them run if that’s not something they want to do. You need to encourage children to do something that they really love to do. If they like football, find a team in the area that they can join.
If dancing is what they want to do, look for dance classes and encourage them to join in. Encouragement is the best way to let children know that they are doing the right thing, and praise makes them want to keep doing it.
Get Out There With Them
Lead by example by getting out there with them. You may enjoy different sports and forms of exercise to your children, so you need to do some compromising and negotiating.
You could do each other’s sport on an alternate basis, or find something that you both like to do even if it is not your favourite options. The more you exercise with them, the more you can encourage and teach them.
Help Them Find Likeminded Friends
Sometimes children can lose the enjoyment for exercise because their friends don’t enjoy them. They could get into a group that loves computer games instead.
You need to help them find friends who love the same exercises as them. Part of this comes down to joining classes and groups in the area.
Finding a Balance
The last point doesn’t mean they can’t have their computer game friends! As a parent, you need to encourage your children to find a good balance between everything.
You want them to enjoy exercise, but you also want them to like school work and have interests in other parts of life. This can often be the hardest part of parenting.