Fitness Friday: Healthy and happy kids

FORT MYERS, Fla. – When most adults think about exercise they imagine working out in the gym, running on a treadmill, or lifting weights.  What about the kids?
Children need 60 minutes of activity every day.
Wink News Fitness Expert Mike Drumm helps us keep our kids healthy and happy.

WARM-UP – Always start your workout with a warm-up and end with a cool down. Today we aren’t going to need any equipment.

• March in Place
• Inch Worms – stand with feet together, bend forward and walk hands away from you

RED LIGHT GREEN LIGHT – When I say “Red Light”, stop whatever exercise you are doing and freeze. When I say “Green Light”, go right back into the exercise.

• Jumping Jacks
• Frog Jump – squat and put your hands on the floor by your feet then JUMP up!

MORE FUN ANIMAL-THEMED EXERCISES: Crab Walks, Bear Crawls, Bunny Hops

JUMP or DROP – Do repetitions of a regular exercise, but when I say “Jump”, you have to stop what you are doing and jump up as high as you can. When I say “Drop”, stop what you are doing and drop to the floor in a high plank as if you were going to do a push up.

• Jog in Place
• Standing Punches

OTHER Great Ideas

·         Create an obstacle course and race through it with your kids, best time wins!

·         Give children toys that encourage physical activity like balls, kites, and jump ropes.

·         Encourage children to join a sports team or try a new physical activity.

·         Limit TV time and keep the TV out of a child’s bedroom.

·         Make a new house rule: no sitting still during television commercials.

·         Be sure that children get the sleep they need. Most children under age five need to sleep for 11 hours or more per day, children age five to 10 need 10 hours of sleep or more per day, and children over age 10 need at least nine hours per day.

Raising Fit Kids

Combining regular physical activity with a healthy diet is the key to a healthy lifestyle.

Here are some tips for raising fit kids:

• Establish a regular schedule for physical activity.
• Embrace a healthier lifestyle yourself, so you’ll be a positive role model for your family.
• KEEP IT FUN!