TIP of the WEEK: Sneaking in Exercise

One of the best ways to get your child to exercise is to not call it exercise! Getting active and having fun together doesn’t have to be a chore and once the habit of being active is formed it will be hard to break. Here are some ideas for exercise that you can sneak in without anyone knowing it’s good for them!

  • 1. Have an outdoor scavenger hunt. This can be on a nature walk, the beach or just during a neighborhood walk. Kids will be more likely to keep moving if they are distracted with the hunt.
     
  • 2. Get competitive. We have had great success with the use of pedometers. The person with the most steps at the end of the week is the winner. Their competitive nature kicks in and over time we found that even the prize for the winner was unnecessary. They simply wanted to be the winner.
     
  • 3. Go to a playground. Most towns have community playgrounds and they are highly underused. Don’t discount the exercise value of climbing, swinging and many of the upper body building equipment found on playgrounds.
     
  • 4. Impromptu games of catch and tag are wonderful ways to get exercise in and have fun at the same time.
     
  • 5. Anything that can be turned into a contest; who can get to the mailbox the fastest, who can throw the farthest, who can carry the most books. Literally anything that has a winner will be met with enthusiasm.
     
  • 6. Walk for charity. Our kids have such sweet spirits and are typically very willing to help out someone in need. During the nice weather there is some kind of charity walk happening almost weekly.

Whatever you choose to do be sure that you are equally as involved and excited. Your child will model after your attitude towards being active. Standing with a stop watch and telling them to get their exercise in for the day will last about 5 minutes if you’re lucky. Exercise can be fun but shhhh, don’t call it exercise!

Patrice Carroll
Manager PWS Services

Related Posts:
Exercise Wisely
Outside Play
PWS Walkathon: Beautiful Day for an Important Cause


“Life is not merely to be alive, but to be well.”
 ~Marcus Valerius Martial

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