Exercise program for children
Print these tips and recommendations
Tips
- Start the program at a slow pace and work up.
- Make sure the activities/exercises are fun.
- Encourage your child throughout entire program.
- Participate with your child.
- CDC recommends children get 60 minutes of physical activity daily.
- CDC recommends children include resistance training (ex: push-ups) in their 60 min.
- Time activities for 5 minutes (when the activity is no longer hard increase time by 2 min) or include various exercises switching every minute.
- Repetition activities start with 2 sets of 5 (gradually increase to 2 sets of 10).
At home exercises
- Modified push-ups
- Sit-ups
- Stand up and then sit down (repeat)
- Dance to music (just dance, but be sure to keep moving) or while watching TV (break during commercials)
- Log rolls (lay on ground and roll keeping body straight)
- Frog jumps (squat on the ground and then jump up; repeat)
- Brisk walks around the block or park (bring the dog too!)
- Jumping Jacks
- Hop or skip
- Jump ups (jump straight up, then go into push-ups position, pull feet back in and jump up; repeat)
- Tag
Exercises with equipment
- Jump rope
- Play in the park or on gym equipment
- Ride bicycles
- Hula-hooping
- Play any kind of sport that keeps your child moving
- Rollerblade
- Swim
How can parents help?
- Participate with your child.
- When you exercise, have them exercise.
- Park farther away from your destination to encourage walking.
- Always take the stairs.
How to meet the recommendations
- Split exercises into 10 minute segments during the day.
- Take longer walks.
- Increase time of exercises (remember to make each day different).