My last article addressed the problem of the increasing number
of overweight children in the United States. So then we have to ask
ourselves
“what can we do about it?” In addition to instilling healthy
dietary habits both at home and in school, get the children moving.
Any activity is better than none, so it is important to encourage
kids to keep moving as much as possible.
My last article addressed the problem of the increasing number of overweight children in the United States. So then we have to ask ourselves “what can we do about it?”
In addition to instilling healthy dietary habits both at home and in school, get the children moving. Any activity is better than none, so it is important to encourage kids to keep moving as much as possible.
The best way to motivate an overweight child to exercise is to make the focus on it, and reward healthy behaviors rather than focusing on weight.
For starters, begin a flexibility program, incorporating full body stretching. Stretching keeps the muscles long and helps prevent them from tightening up. Short, tight muscles can potentially lead to pain. All movements should be slow and steady; not bouncey.
The next step is to start on a cardiovascular (aerobic) routine. Overweight children should partake in non-impact or low-impact activities such as swimming, cycling (moving or stationary), or walking.
The Presidential Council on Physical Fitness recommends setting a goal of taking 10,000 steps a day. You can get a pedometer at any sporting goods store and this will count the steps taken. Start with a baseline number of how many steps your child takes in a given day. Then you can give him/her the challenge of increasing that number each day until he/she reaches that goal. Then encourage your child to set a higher goal and so on.
There are many other different types of exercises for overweight children to participate in as well. Activities such as yoga, martial arts, racquet sports, and even playing tag are great aerobic exercises for children. They increase cardiovascular capacity without being high impact.
A progressive weight-training/resistance program using light weights or resistance bands is next. This is a positive, non-threatening activity for overweight youths because it is completely individual. They can go at their own pace, and increase slowly.
And, as muscle increases, so does energy level, since muscle takes more energy to burn than fat does.
However, it is important to have supervision while doing these exercises to ensure proper form and avoid injury.
Turn the exercise into a game and make it fun. Involve other family members and friends. The idea is to forget that you are exercising. Add music to further enhance the enjoyment.
Remember, the activities outlined above are beneficial for everybody. No child (or adult for that matter) should live his/her life sedentary.
So, get out there and move.
