Motivating children to be active

Sonya Brown

Sonya Brown, Medicine Hat Community Health Services

Anyone who's seen children on a playground knows that most are naturally physically active and love to move around. What might not be apparent is that climbing to the top of a slide or swinging from the monkey bars can help lead children to a lifetime of physical activity.

As children get older, it can be challenging for them to get enough daily activity, especially with the increasing demands of school and busy working families, if the child feels he or she isn’t good at sports or if children don’t have any active role models to lead the way. Despite these barriers, parents can instill a love of physical activity and help children fit it into their everyday routines. Creating healthy patterns early can last well into adulthood.

When kids are active, their bodies can do the things they want and need them to do. This is because regular exercise gives children strong muscles and bones, helps with weight control, improves sleep and contributes to positive mental health. Healthy, physically active kids are also more likely to be academically motivated, alert and successful. And physical competence builds self-esteem at every age.

There are many ways we can motivate our children to be active, such as:

• Choosing the right activities for a child's age. If you don't, the child may be bored or frustrated. 
• Giving kids plenty of opportunity to be active. Kids need parents to make the activity easy by providing equipment and taking them to playgrounds and other active spots. 
• Keeping the focus on fun. Kids won't do something they don't enjoy. 

When children enjoy an activity, they want to do more of it. Practicing a skill—whether it's swimming or riding a tricycle—improves their abilities and helps them feel accomplished, especially when the effort is noticed and praised. These good feelings often make children want to continue the activity and try others.

Here are some age-appropriate activities to help incorporate physical activity into your child’s daily routine:

• Preschoolers need play and exercise that helps them continue to develop important motor skills, such as kicking or throwing a ball, playing tag or follow the leader, hopping on one foot, riding a trike or bike with training wheels, freeze dancing or running obstacle courses. 
• School-age children can benefit from spending less time on sedentary pursuits like watching TV and playing computer games. The challenge for parents is to help children find physical activities they enjoy and feel successful doing. These can range from traditional sports like baseball and basketball to martial arts, biking, hiking or playing outside. 
• Teenagers have many choices when it comes to being active, from school sports to after-school interests such as yoga or skateboarding. It's important to remember that physical activity must be planned and often has to be sandwiched between various responsibilities and commitments. 

Sonya Brown is a health promotion coordinator at Medicine Hat Community Health Services and can be reached at 403-502-8409 or email Sonya.Brown@albertahealthservices.ca