HEALTH BENEFITS OF EXERCISE
Exercise is important for children to develop healthy bodies. Even infants need exercise. Why is it so important that children get a lot on exercise? Here are five good reasons for children to get exercise:
• FIGHTING OBESITY: It is estimated that nearly 25 million children in the United States are overweight or at risk for becoming overweight. (CDC)
• PREVENTION OF DIABETES: A child born today has a one in three chance of contracting diabetes during his lifetime. (CDC)
• LIVING LONGER: The Institute of Medicine predicts today’s children will be the first generation in history to die at a younger average age than their parents. They will also be more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and sleep apnea.
• STRONGER BODIES: Physical activity isn’t just good for the heart. It helps build strong bones and muscles, improves motor skills and coordination, reduces weight, lowers blood pressure, and improves a child’s mood.
• HAPPIER KIDS: Often overweight children have low self-esteem, in part because they get teased about their appearance and have a harder time making friends.
As a childcare provider do you have exercise scheduled into your daily schedule? Some providers give these reasons why exercise is difficult today:
Available space, difficult weather conditions, managing groups of children outside with only one assistant, noise are all reasons given when some providers explain their reluctance to get children moving. All of these are poor excuses however when you consider that the health and well-being of the children in your program often depends on your willingness to include healthy physical activity.
Some providers have found it helpful to create an Activity Plan. Here are some things to consider when developing an Activity Plan.
• Carefully monitor television and computer time.
• Incorporate learning activities which include more physical exercise.
• Practice counting while climbing up and down stairs,
• Play Simon Says,
• Dancing and marching are all great examples of learning activities which promote movement.
• Start walking. Children can walk throughout your home with music in the background. Take walks around your yard. Take walks around your neighborhood. If you take your group on field trips think about places within walking distance.
• If you use TV in your program, try scaling back TV time
• Give children other options like doing push-ups or counting how many times they can bend and touch their toes.
• Try including more sports and think about games such as soccer which can be adapted so that it’s fun for all the participating children.
• Spring is the perfect time to plant a garden. Children can become involved by digging holes, planting, watering, and weeding which are all good forms of exercise.
If it is hard to engage some children for a full 60 minutes in one activity, break it up into smaller exercise sessions. Include all the children in your exercise routine.
INFANTS
Infants need the freedom to move around and explore their environment. Avoid keeping them in strollers, stationary walkers, highchairs and car seats for long periods of time. You need to schedule tummy time for infants at least two, ten to fifteen minute periods of supervised tummy time a day. Exercises that engage the infant in socialization and play are needed.
For example: Try games like peek a boo, pat-a-cake, and the Itsy Bitsy Spider.
Baby gyms can also make floor time more fun. Rattles, soft balls and squeeze toys are great to keep infants active while encouraging them to crawl. Push toys help older babies learn to walk. Make sure you have a safe place for older infants to pull themselves up to a standing position.
For example: You can place padded material over a low coffee table.
TODDLERS
By the time toddlers turn two they need a minimum of 30 to 60 minutes of active playtime every day and should not be sedentary for more than an hour at a time (unless they’re asleep). Toddlers love to walk, run, and climb. Keep them going with chasing games and songs that encourage movement. The ability to run is a developmental milestone and should be encouraged when appropriate. Toddlers love kicking and throwing balls back and forth and dancing to music. Soft balls and bats, pull-toys, mini strollers, plastic slides, ride-on-toys, and tricycles are all good additions. Older preschoolers may be ready to try to play ball, have them try hitting, throwing and catching a balloon or a big ball.
As in most things in family childcare, your good example is what will make a difference. If you demonstrate to the children in your program robust physical activity is a fun and healthy way to spend their time, you are providing a great example. If you are upbeat and physically active, children will begin to see activity as the norm rather than the exception. The children in your care will take their lead from you.