According to the World Health Organization, kids between the ages of five and 17 years need 60 minutes of physical activity a day. But only a third of Aussie kids are meeting this recommendation. So how can we inspire you to keep your family active, especially now as the weather warms up?
Physical activity helps children to stay healthy and strong. Not only does it improve fitness, muscle strength and bone strength but it helps keep their minds healthy as well. Being active supports mental health and has been proven to aid concentration.
Of course, being active doesn’t only benefit our kids. The entire family can reap the rewards of an active lifestyle. Kids will develop lifelong habits from their parents; you can be a great role model by looking after your own health and getting active too.
Check out these five ideas to keep your family active.
1. Switch up the school run to keep active
Mornings are hectic, and sometimes the only physical activity your child may get before school each day is the dash from the front door to the car.
Try switching things up a bit to add in some exercise for you and the kids in the morning. Leave the car at home and ride bikes, scooters or skateboards to school, or even just walk in the fresh air.
If it’s not possible to reach your child’s school without a car, try parking further away and add a brisk walk to the school gate. This little bit of exercise before the school bell goes will help your child be able to concentrate better in the classroom.
2. The family who race together, stay together
Sign the entire family up for a fun activity. Look into local events such as colour runs, charity runs, marathons or warrior courses. You can train together in the days leading up to the event, and then have a blast participating as a family unit on the day.
3. Obstacle courses can be a fun competitive activity
Were you and the kids inspired by the latest season of Ninja Warrior? Create your own Ninja Warrior-style obstacle course in the backyard. Use trampolines, climbing frames, skipping ropes, basketballs and anything else you come across. Take it in turn timing each member of the family to race through the course to give it a more competitive edge.
4. Try unstructured activities instead of being organised
Not all activity has to be planned in advance. Getting the whole family up and moving can be as simple as blasting the stereo and having a dance party after dinner each evening. Take it in turns choosing songs or just let a playlist run through. Dancing gets the blood pumping and the heart rate going and before you know it, you’ll have worked up a sweat while having a great time and creating happy memories.
If all else fails and you are really trying your best to encourage your child to get a bit more activity into their day, remind them that chores also count as a workout so they can either vacuum the lounge room or go for a walk … chances are, they’ll have their joggers on before you can even finish the sentence!
5. Camp Blue is full of activities for your children
At Camp Blue, a major part of our program is active movement whether that be sports, games, drama, photography and even in the kitchen. We understand the importance of physical activity for children and encourage all of our campers to get inspired and move. There really is no other experience like Camp Blue.
