It should come as no surprise that there is a direct correlation between the hours of television watched and a child’s body fat. With childhood obesity hitting a scary all-time high, it’s more important than ever to teach our kids how to combine proper exercise with a healthy diet. By understanding how to incorporate the best exercises in a safe manner, fun and healthy habits can be instilled into the younger generation and hopefully last a lifetime. Do this now so you can avoid having to send your little butterball to a weight loss camp or fitness boot camp in the future. In addition, by adopting a healthier lifestyle yourself, you will serve and a positive role model for your entire family.
It is common knowledge that aerobic exercise is what is necessary to burn fat. This is accomplished when breathing is increased and the heart rate is elevated for more than twenty minutes. It is after this time when the body begins to tap into its fat reserves and use it as fuel. Examples of aerobic exercise that is fun for the whole family include swimming, running, biking, rollerblading, basketball, tennis and walking, just to name a few. In contrast, anaerobic exercise takes place in shorter bursts of exerting energy with intermittent rest periods. While anaerobic exercise does not burn fat, it is responsible for building muscle. This is important to know because the more muscle mass a person has, the more calories, and therefore fat, they are able to burn. Some examples of anaerobic exercises are lifting weights, push-ups, stomach crunches and pull-ups.
During aerobic exercise, the extra oxygen you breathe in helps to burn the fat away as well as increases your metabolism so that your body burns more calories during the day even when you’re not exercising at the moment. It is recommended that everyone get at least thirty minutes of aerobic exercise a minimum of three days per week. While younger children are generally more active and have no problem meeting this goal, participating in aerobic activities as a family will improve everyone’s overall health. Although it’s good to be motivated and work hard, it is not beneficial to overdo it. A common guideline to monitor the intensity is that you should be able to talk during the activity.
When it comes to safety, it is wise to talk to your doctor before beginning a new exercise program to make sure your family isn’t in danger of becoming injured. No matter what physical activities you decide to do, make sure you become familiar with the appropriate safety equipment such as protective eyewear, helmets, mouth guards, and padding. In addition, it’s a good idea to learn to how properly stretch once the muscles have warmed up a bit. And, forget about the old saying, “no pain, no gain,” because if it hurts, your body is telling you that something is wrong and you should stop immediately before you get seriously injured.
It is indisputable that exercise is good for growing children and it’s best to promote a healthy lifestyle as soon as possible. It’s most effective to find activities that they enjoy and that keep them moving.