Making kids fitness-oriented

With the advent of video and computer games, social networking sites and just regular television, getting kids to work up a sweat has become a task and a half. But don’t lose hope just yet! After Hrs gives you a list of fun activities that can make exercising an enjoyable affair for children.

“Each kid has their own individual interest in sports and this is usually their primary form of physical activity. The focus should basically be on variety. Anything that is fun and can captivate and maintain their interest,” says aerobics instructor Sangeetha Gopal.

“Ideally I would love to see kids get out of their homes and play age old street games like lagori, gilli danda, etc. because they’re such a good workout, engaging all the muscles. But you don’t see that happening anymore,” says body transformation expert, Wanitha Ashok.

But despite this aversion for the outdoors, there are certain activities that are hugely popular amongst children today. “Aqua aerobics is an extremely popular option today. Kids, who would normally not enjoy workouts, or even regular swimming, will find this particular activity fun. If the child enjoys it, he/she will stick with it,” says nutritionist Ashwini Sukumar.

A new phenomenon in children’s fitness is motion sensor games. “Gaming consoles like Nintendo Wii offer a variety of sports like racquet games, volleyball and other fun games that involve dancing,” says Wanitha. This is not only gets children to be physically active in some form, but allows them the satisfaction of playing a ‘video game.’

Another very popular fitness activity for kids today is dancing. Dancing of any form, either classical or Bollywood, not only provides entertainment for children, but is also a full body workout. And the best part is that children don’t even think of it as exercise.

While classical dancing has always been a popular option, there is a new trend on the rise. “Bollywood dancing and aerobics are hugely popular with children today. Also, when it comes to Bollywood dancing, children enjoy dancing to their favourite songs or to music from their favourite film’s star’s movies. All of this makes the process more enjoyable for them,” Wanitha adds.

Gyms are another option for young teenagers, she says. “Slight weight training, with very light weights is good for young boys, 13-14 years onwards. As long as it’s not heavy weights, it helps with their growth process. But gyms are best left to cases where children are extremely overweight,” she offers.

“Very young children are often not encouraged at gyms, unless they are very overweight. In fact, most gyms discourage heavy workouts at too young an age,” says Ashwini. Apart from these activities, horse riding and golfing are also catching on amongst the youth. The simplest and easiest option however, is to allow children to pursue a particular sport they might show interest in and try to get them as involved in it as possible. But it doesn’t stop there.

“Along with fitness, the diet is very important,” says Sangeetha. “I would call out to mothers to stop feeding their children ready made products because this is the root cause for their children becoming overweight. If healthy eating habits, like eating boiled or steamed food, are inculcated at a young age, children develop and maintain good eating habits later in life too. A good workout is nothing without a good diet,” she signs off.