The Benefits Of Getting Outdoors With Your Child
Posted on 12th March 2018 at 21:14
Your child's overall happiness is determined by several different yet important areas in their daily life.
Relationships, food, environment, friends, family, play time, learning... today we’re going to talk about exercise and outdoor play.
You will have most likely seen or read that childhood obesity is an increasingly alarming problem in the UK, with today nearly a third of children aged 2 to 15 being overweight or obese (according to .gov.uk).
With this in mind, it is important that parents take the time to research and find the most enjoyable and maintainable way to include exercise and outdoor play as part of a daily routine with their little one.
Research has shown that exercise can hugely benefit both parent and child from a young age. The obvious one here would be from a health standpoint. Introducing healthy eating and fitness habits from a young age could dramatically impact the likelihood of them developing many illnesses and health related issues later on in life.
From a mental standpoint, with exercise increasing the number of ‘happy hormones’ (endorphins) in the bloodstream, exercise and high levels of activity can massively decrease the chances of your child ever struggling with mental health problems such as depression, low self-esteem and anxiety to name a few.
However, one of the biggest and unspoken benefits for both you and your child participating in fitness related activities together is making those precious memories that will last a lifetime.
Bonding time can be increasingly difficult to fully maximise with how busy our lives are. So, how do you go about doing this? There is much more you can do with your little one than kick a ball around the park!
Stuck for ideas or looking to try something fun and different this month? Here are some ways to include more exercise and activity into both your routines!
Try a different sporting club/event every month: don’t be disheartened if your child doesn’t seem to enjoy or take to a sporting activity at first. They’ve perhaps just not found that thing they really love doing? Keep it fun and interesting by getting them to try a range of different activities to broaden their horizons!
Ditch the car whenever you can: do you live close to a family friends house, the shops, the park or Wellies Day Nursery? Forget those car keys and get outside in the fresh air with your little one and take in those surroundings! An easy way to get some extra walking activity in your day. Maybe try ditching the car at the weekend and build it up?
Organise your own sports activity day: don’t wait for your nursery or school for sports day, why don’t you organise your own with some healthy treats for afters? A fun way for children and parents to bond with some interactive games either in the park or in your back garden!
Bike riding: either take your own bike or hire a bike to indulge in some lush countryside with the family.
Activity challenges at home: get creative with a daily chart with some fun mini challenges at home, how many star jumps can they do in 30 seconds? How long can they do a wall sit for? Get the whole family involved!
Exercise doesn’t have to be dull and boring - get creative, get your child involved and get active!
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