Put Some Fun in Your Children's Fitness Published July 2, 2014 Human Performance Resource Center Staff WASHINGTON -- Children are full of energy, and that's good. Children and adolescents (age 6-17) need at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, according to the "2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans," -- more than twice the amount recommended for adults. Children's activity should include: ·Aerobic exercise for most of the 60 minutes, which can be either vigorous activities (like running, swimming and jumping rope) or moderate-intensity activities (like walking or skateboarding). Vigorous exercise should be included at least three days a week. ·Muscle-strengthening activities like playing tug of war, exercising with resistance bands or climbing on playground equipment. Strengthening exercises should be done at least three times a week. For safety guidelines on strength training for children and teens, check out this article from the Human Performance Resource Center. ·Bone-strengthening (impact) activities like running, jumping rope, basketball, tennis and hopscotch. Impact activities strengthen bones and promote healthy growth, and should be done at least three times a week. The 60 minutes each day doesn't have to be all at once; it can be over the course of the day. And it doesn't have to be the kind of exercise that you do as a grown-up; no need to sign up your child for a gym membership or for workout classes. Exercise should be in the form of playtime so that your children associate physical activity and exercise with fun. Play activities that meet exercise standards should include continuous movement like biking and running, which get the heart pumping. Organized sports are another great way for your children to exercise if they enjoy it. However, play could be as simple as a game of tag in the yard. On a rainy day, physically active video games that get your child dancing and moving around can be a good alternative, but they're not a substitute for "real" activities. Keep your kids from getting bored by mixing up activities. You can set a good example with your own exercise habits or, at the very least, by encouraging your children to exercise. Think about activities you can do as a family too. As an example, a week of activities might look something like this: ·Monday: Plan a playground play date with other kids in the neighborhood. Climbing on monkey bars, playing hopscotch and other obstacles help build muscular strength and provide bone strengthening too. ·Tuesday: Take an energetic bike ride; it can provide vigorous aerobic activity. ·Wednesday: Do some resistance activities or yoga (muscle-strengthening exercise) at home. ·Thursday: Take a long walk to the library (moderate-intensity aerobic exercise). ·Friday: Have a family dance-off with active video games (aim for vigorous, bone-strengthening intensity) and follow with a game of tug-of-war (muscle strengthening). ·Saturday: Play a pickup game of basketball or soccer; running and similar weight-bearing (vigorous aerobic and bone strengthening) activities help build strong bones. ·Sunday: Plan an afternoon hike and picnic (moderate-intensity aerobic activity). Visit the Let's Move Outside website to find potential places to go. These are just a few ideas; you need to find activities that your family enjoys and that fits into the daily routine. Remember that physical fitness has immense benefits and can build strong muscles and bones, as well as improve self-esteem, sleep and learning ability. Finally: It's important to lead by example and help make exercise a family affair; exercising as a family is a great way to start your kids off on the track to an active lifestyle, and you may notice that you start to feel healthier too! For more information on physical activity and healthy living, visit Operation Live Well.