Kids. At one point, you think you’ve already figured out how to handle them. But that could change any moment, and you’ll end up realizing that you still have a lot to learn. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why you’re here and looking for ways to make health and fitness fun for your kids. They’re often known to be uncooperative whenever you ask them to eat something healthy or engage in physical activities.
With many things going on with your kids’ lives and their day-to-day habits, it can be challenging to make them committed to being healthy and fit. But no worries, you can surely get your way around that predicament. How? By making the task fun and engaging for them. Below are some tips you might find helpful:
1. Reward Them for The Little Things
Children tend to be competitive whenever you ask them to do something. If you want them engaged and focused on being healthier, you might want to include rewards and prizes in the picture. May it be something as essential as your kid taking the best liquid vitamins or eating their greens, they’ll be more delighted to do so when they know there’s a reward waiting for them in the end.
Siblings seem to take competitions well, especially if it involves receiving something they badly want. For example, if your child will finish their lunch or dinner for a whole week, you can reward them with their favorite ice cream flavor for the weekend. Indulging them shouldn’t hurt, as long as you’re in control and you won’t spoil them as much.
2. Be A Role Model
You indeed notice how kids like to mimic what adults do. If your child enjoys doing things that you do, you might as well use that to your advantage. You can be some sort of a role model that’ll show them the right way of doing things, especially when it comes to health and fitness.
If they see you eating your vegetables and not leaving anything behind on your plate, that means they’re starting to see the essence of such a habit. Try your best to explain it to them using the simplest words so they can relate to what you’re saying. Remember that if you set a good standard, they’ll most likely follow suit and continue doing so as they grow up.
3. Make Physical Wellness A Part Of Your Family Routine
Fitness can be better achieved if you try to make your kids see that it’s a family routine instead of a task they need to do every day. If they witness how everyone in the pack is committed to being physically active, they’ll surely think of it as a family thing that they should participate in. That said, involving everyone in the family is an excellent idea to entice the kids to join in.
For example, you can all ride a bike together every other day or take a walk every day. You may also engage in other outdoor activities such as swimming, hiking, camping, and sports. You won’t only be raising active children, but you’re teaching them important values such as teamwork, cooperation, and camaraderie.
4. Let Them Help In Preparing Their Food
Another fun way to encourage your kids to adopt a healthy lifestyle is to let them help in preparing their food. You may think it’s just another opportunity to play with them and spend time together, but actually, you can get a few more benefits out of this idea. As they help out, you can start introducing them to healthier food options. You can discuss different vitamins and minerals they can get from healthy items and how those can help them be stronger, taller, and healthier.
You can teach them how to bake or cook but start from the simplest recipes that they can easily follow. Of course, you also need to pick ones that are okay with their level of comprehension, age, and physical capabilities. You can’t expect them to grill chicken or fish, but at least they can learn how to fry eggs and make pancakes. You can also teach them how to wash fruits and vegetables properly.
Aside from letting kids help prepare the food, don’t forget that eating together as a family can also positively impact their mindset. If they see that everyone is enjoying the food they’ve prepared, they’ll be more interested to keep doing it.
5. Don’t Forget To Speak With Their Doctor
As you busy yourself with different ways to make health and fitness fun for your kids, don’t forget to consult their doctor as you go about it. Are you giving them the right vitamins? Is it okay if they exercise every day? Is there any existing medical condition you should be concerned about?
Your doubts and hesitations can be better addressed if you’ll speak with your children’s doctor. Let them know of the actual situation and ask if they have any suggestions or recommendations that could help you out.
6. Choose Physical Activities The Are Appropriate For Their Age
No matter how fun the activity is, they won’t enjoy it when it’s inappropriate for their age and developmental abilities. For example, asking them to go for a three-mile run won’t be feasible for your seven or eight-year-old kid, but they’ll surely enjoy swimming or playing soccer. It all boils down to how you pick activities that you think will entice them to be physically active.
When coming up with a list of physical activities for your kids, consider their age and abilities. If you have a child with special needs, that’s another factor to keep in mind. The same goes for toddlers who are five years old and below. Aside from the age, take note also of their endurance, height, and physical stamina. You don’t want to tire the little ones too much because that’ll only make them dread the activity even more.
Conclusion
Keeping your kids healthy and physically well can be challenging in more ways than one. With more and more distractions clouding the minds of today’s younger generation, it’s tricky to constantly think of ways to excite them with everyday meals and activities.
As a parent, you shouldn’t give up. Instead, you must constantly seek strategies that can help you achieve this objective. You can look at the list above if you need more fun ideas to make your children healthy and fit.