Exercise with Your Child Week, which falls on August 4 to 10 this year, is an exciting opportunity for families to get those muscles moving. The 21st-century lifestyle has meant a lot of sitting or lying down as the technology around us does most of the hard work. This sedentary day-to-day life puts us and our children at risk of many physical and mental ailments. From having weak muscles, bones, and immune systems to suffering from being overweight and having heart diseases to depression and anxiety, the list goes on and on. Children need our guidance and support to lead a healthy life, and this is why Exercise with Your Child Week encourages families to unite as one while exercising.
History of Exercise with Your Child Week
The first Exercise with Your Child Week was started in 2010 by Sheila Madison. She wanted to promote healthy living amongst families. The human body is a machine that needs to be maintained and oiled at regular intervals. If a machine is not used well or is used without it being taken care of, it would not be able to operate and continue well. Similarly, a human body needs daily exercise for it to function well since, without it, all sorts of illnesses can plague one’s life. Children need to be taught this lesson from a young age. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a 60-minute exercise regime for all children and adolescents. Once a child develops a habit of exercising regularly, they will be able to perform well in their Physical Education classes as well as in their daily lives generally. You can teach your children all these advantages by setting an example for yourself and exercising daily.
Exercising need not be all sweat and effort. It can be a fun activity filled with quality time for you and your children. Starting from the tender age of three, you can start putting your children on some exercises. But before you do that, make sure you consult a child physician to determine the best exercises according to your children’s physique. CDC suggests starting with some aerobic exercising techniques, which should make up most of the 60 minutes duration. Aerobic exercise can include running, jogging, or brisk walking. For muscle strengthening exercises, you can opt for push-ups, light weight lifting, and gymnastics. If you want to strengthen your bones, you can try your hands at skipping. Apart from all these, you can do hula-hooping, dancing, walking, or even just household chores that involve you moving around a lot.
Exercise with Your Child Week timeline
Sheila Madison commemorates the first Exercise with Your Child Week to encourage healthy lifestyles in families.
Trevor Archer, a researcher at the University of Gothenburg, reveals that children and adolescents develop healthier physical and mental health systems.
CDC publishes the second exercise edition for children and adolescents, recommending a 60-minute exercising session.
Research shows that a sedentary lifestyle can lead to weight gain and obesity in children.
Exercise with Your Child Week FAQs
How do I exercise with my child?
You can participate in group exercises like hiking, jogging, running, and dancing. You can even play sports like tennis, cricket, and football.
How many times a week should a child exercise?
It depends on the child’s age. Children and adolescents aged between 6 – 17 should exercise for at least one hour daily. Children younger than 6 should be involved in play activities every day.
How can I make my lazy child active?
You can start by consulting with your child’s physician. It may be that the child is lacking in some essential vitamins and minerals that are making them lazy. Once a consultation is completed, you can limit your child’s screen time by including several exercises in their schedules. These exercises can include walking, doing household chores, or jogging.
How To Celebrate Exercise with Your Child Week
Involve some music
Exercising has got us huffing and puffing, but that does not mean we have to listen to it. Make a playlist with your children, and have it playing when you exercise. Including this element in your daily exercise will help you and your children to get into the zone.
Learn a new activity
There are so many things we can do to get our exercise quotient in, be it playing a sport like tennis or learning swimming. You will not only get your muscles and bones moving, but you will also be learning new things while doing it.
Make it fun
Every household has some amount of chores that need to be done daily. This is the perfect way to get the children moving throughout the day. The chores could be anything like mopping the floor or putting the dishes in the dishwasher.
5 Facts About Childhood Obesity That Will Blow Your Mind
Childhood obesity can decrease with education
From 2011 - 2014, childhood obesity saw a decline as the education of the household heads increased.
High childhood obesity rates in America
One in five children in America suffers from childhood obesity.
Childhood obesity carries on to adulthood
Children who have been obese in the early years of their lives have a higher chance of having it in their adulthood too.
Less military personnel
Childhood obesity plaguing one in four people from the ages of 17 - 24 can mean fewer and fewer people being eligible to serve in the U.S. military.
Poor mental and physical health
Childhood obesity can lead to people having poor mental and physical health, with them suffering from high cholesterol, heart diseases, stress, and anxiety.
Why We Love Exercise with Your Child Week
It’s a celebration of exercise
Exercise is essential for everyone. It not only keeps us healthy and running for the rest of our lives, but it also keeps us fresher and happier. Exercise is, in fact, linked to mental detoxification as it can allow you to decrease symptoms of depression and low self-esteem.
It’s a celebration of childhood
Childhood, without a doubt, can be some of the best years of our lives. As children, our worries tend to be minuscule. This is why we should make the most of it by exercising and moving about. Good habits developed in childhood will benefit one in the long term.
It’s a celebration of family
As a family, we do a lot of activities together. From shopping to eating to watching a movie, it all makes for quality time. Adding exercise to the equation is great because not only are you benefitting your bodies, but you are also adding more quality time to family activities.
Exercise with Your Child Week dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | August 7 | Sunday |
| 2023 | August 6 | Sunday |
| 2024 | August 4 | Sunday |
| 2025 | August 3 | Sunday |
| 2026 | August 2 | Sunday |
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