Most toddlers have a
natural ability to keep on the go for much of the day
and even though you may often wish they would slow down
and give you a break, this very energy should be encouraged
and harnessed to prepare them for a life of health and
fitness.
Every young child should be exposed to the fun of
exercise to set them up for a life of enjoying physical
exercise so that they avoid the danger of obesity,
osteoporosis and all the other diseases that come
from lack of body movement. The chilling statistic
today is that 1 in 4 of our youth in the US is overweight
or obese. As parents, we have a duty to reverse that
trend.
As soon as your toddler makes those first few steps,
you can introduce a daily walk in the park or other
safe place so that he is getting both fresh air and
exercise. Each day encourage him to walk a little
bit further – the stroller can be there for
when he starts to get tired - but don’t just
always pop him into the stroller as a matter of course
whenever you have to get from A to B. You want to
build up those leg muscles. As he grows in strength
and confidence, the walking will progress into running
and this means mom or dad can start running too. You
will end up with exercise for the whole family! What
could be better than that? Another big plus is that
at the end of the day, your young child will sleep
better.
Most parks have good playground apparatus and your
toddler will enjoy using this and building up strength
and skills in climbing. Taking a ball along to the
park will also give your toddler enjoyment, fun and
exercise as he chases the ball and learns to throw,
catch and kick the ball. You may even end up with
a future famous sportsman – many of today’s
high achieving sportsmen and women started very young!
In addition, there are now many physical exercise
classes for toddlers which you can investigate. These
will provide social interaction for your child with
other children as well as exercise and fun opportunities.
You get to meet other moms too. Such classes cover
swimming, yoga, gymnastics as well as music and movement.
The American Heart Association recommends that toddlers
get at least 30 minutes of structured physical activity
every day plus several hours per day of unstructured
activity. Apart from when they are sleeping, toddlers
should not be inactive for more than 60 minutes at
a time. You might need to think carefully about this
to see how your toddler spends his day?
Here are lots of fun games and exercises for
your toddler to enjoy with you at home:
o Walking the tightrope – this is where you
stick down a long piece of masking tape to the floor
and you walk together along the tightrope. Try to
stay on the line plus you can walk backwards, forwards
and sideways. This exercise helps develop balance
while exercising the foot muscles.
o Stretches – this is where you stand with
your feet shoulder-width apart and have your child
follow your movements. Move into a crouching position
and stretch slowly upwards until you are standing.
Stretch your hands over your head. Then lower your
hands slowly to your sides. Return to a crouching
position and repeat. This stretches the entire body.
o Head, shoulders, knees and toes – this is
where you stand facing your child while slowly calling
out the names of each body part in the title at the
same time asking your child to touch each body part
as you name it. Once your child does this successfully,
you can mix up the order of the body parts and then
quicken your pace. Apart from helping your child identify
his body parts, it aids flexibility as well as understanding
the concepts of up, down, low and high.
As your child gets a bit older, you can try
these further exercises too:
o Jump and twist – this is where you hold your
child’s hands as you jump together as high as
you can while putting as much spring into your jump
as possible. Land with ankles and knees slightly bent.
Then jump with hands by your sides. Then twist feet
and hips and pump arms from side to side. This strengthens
the legs and improves circulation.
o Rock and roll – this is where you sit on
the floor and clasp your hands under your knees. Your
child should copy what you do. Rock on your back and
keep your hands tucked in. After several repetitions,
alternate to side to side rocking. Be careful not
to rock on your shoulders as this could strain your
neck and make rocking difficult. This exercise stretches
the back and strengthens the abdominal muscles.
o Mirror game – this is where you ask your
child to do exactly as you do, as if he were your
reflection in the mirror. Always make slow movements
and take turns in being leader. Make movements that
require flexibility and exercises such as bending
at the waist, stretching your hands overhead, standing
on your tip toes, do deep knee bends, running on the
spot etc. This results in good co-ordination and will
help with writing skills when he is older. This game
also provides flexibility and aerobic activity.
Remember that children who are physically inactive
become couch potato adults. Regular exercise improves
bone health; builds endurance and muscle strength;
lowers risk factors for serious health problems like
heart disease, colon cancer and diabetes; keeps blood
pressure in check and fosters self-esteem.
The young child in your care deserves nothing
less.
