Exercise does a body good — and that goes for kids as well as adults. But with the lure of TV, video games and electronic devices, kids seem to be getting less and less of the activity their bodies need.
Enter mom.
Researchers in Britain gave more than 500 mothers and their 4-year-olds activity trackers and monitored their movements. Their findings were encouraging. While only 53 percent of the moms in the study got the recommended 30 minutes of exercise a day, the researchers did find that those moms who moved more had kids who moved more.
“It’s a positive thing that maternal physical activity levels can influence the activity level of their child,” said Kathryn Hesket, the study’s lead author. “If more time is spent moving, then activity can increase in both.”
What Makes Kids Exercise More?
Seeing Their Moms Do It.
Exercise doesn’t just make your kids more fit, stronger and healthier. It also has important psychological benefits. Studies show that kids who regularly exercise get better grades in school, feel calmer and happier and enjoy better quality sleep.
To make exercise fun for your kids, experts offer these tips:
- Pick an activity you both know and enjoy, such as riding bikes or pumping for the sky on swings. This is especially true if your kids are new to exercise — you want to reduce the frustration factor so they stick with it.
- Switch things up. No one likes doing the same thing over and over, so shake things up every now and then and do a different activity.
- Share bonding experiences. Once your kids get comfortable with exercise, choose an activity you can learn together. Flow Fitness Boutique has several Mommy & Me classes, such as Mom & Me Trapeze Flow and Mom & Me Fit.