Power Up Your Child’s Play:

Healthy Activity to Keep Your Child Growing Strong

Let’s start with the good news: If the kids in your family aren’t getting enough physical activity, you’re far from alone. The bad news, though, is that means that three out of four American children are not getting the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity each day. And that’s bad news on a lot of fronts for our nation’s kids.

Physical activity does more than keeps kids healthy in the here and now. It also reduces their risks of health conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes later in life. More than that, it boosts a child’s confidence and lowers levels of anxiety and depression. It also helps kids sleep better and even improves their academic performance.

Like all things, though, if your child isn’t doing it now, there’s probably a barrier that’s holding them back. Whether it’s time, money or a lack of interest in traditional sports, there’s plenty of reasons little Johnny might not be signing up for little league this summer. Fortunately, there are lots of easy, free and non-athletic ways to get your child and your whole family moving!

✓ Move together as a family. Take a family walk after dinner each night. Have dance parties while you cook dinner. Play catch, hide-and-seek or tag. You can even arrange a scavenger hunt or create an obstacle course.

✓ Limit screen time. And lead by example. This is a tough one, but kids are much more likely to respect screen time limits if they see that you limit your screen time, too.

✓ Use exercise as a reward. Help your child create positive associations with exercise by using it as a reward – not a punishment or an obligation. They might not enjoy group sports, but they might welcome a 30-minute homework break to take a walk or go to the park.

✓ Get creative.

Activity doesn’t have to look like exercise. Does you child enjoy gardening? That counts as physical activity! Do you have a little artist? Take a camera or a sketch pad on a walk and give them new subjects for their art.

The sky is the limit when it comes to helping your child reach their activity goals. How will you incorporate movement into your family’s life?

For more information about healthy activity, visit www.healthychildren.org for American Association of Pediatrics recommendations. Visit www.freemanhealth.com/pediatrics for more information about pediatric services at Freeman Health System.