Exercise and Elevate

Individuals ＆ families

Eating healthy and physical exercise are co-dependent partners that ensure that your body functions at its full capacity. It’s equally important that children know the importance of both exercise and eating healthy.

This is because, exercise is one other element that your body needs for optimal growth. It is therefore critical that kids integrate exercise and physical activity early on in their lives. They are in the developmental stages of their life and their young bodies require more movement, play and exercise.

Research shows that children should engage in 30 minutes of physical exercise every day. When they dedicate 30 minutes each day to exercise their fitness levels will increase, because their muscles will be engaged. Amazingly, they will begin to see improvements in their endurance, flexibility and strength.

Take a look at the three main exercise areas below that kids can enjoy to increase their fitness levels:

Aerobic exercise- helps to increase cardiovascular endurance which can be accomplished by walking, swimming or cycling.

Anaerobic exercise- helps to increase short-term muscle strength which can be accomplished by weight training or sprinting.

Flexibility exercise- helps to improve the range of movement of muscles and joints which can be accomplished by stretching or dance.

Encouraging kids to engage in exercises that focus on the three areas mentioned above will be beneficial to their overall well-being.

Physically- their fitness levels will increase, their heart, bones and muscles will become stronger and their body will become leaner. It can also lower their risk of developing lifestyle diseases like heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

Mentally- they can experience less anxiety and stress allowing them to become more focused, relaxed and happy.

Socially- they can learn discipline, accountability and team building skills.

You have the power to inspire them to get more physically activity in the day. Lead by example as you decide to take the stairs instead of the elevator or walk to places as opposed to driving. This can motivate them to make exercise become one of their favourite pastimes. You can get them thrilled about exercise, so that they can energize all aspects of their life!

You can start by downloading the activities below. They can be printed or used in your favourite art or drawing app.