As
a parent, there are ways you can help overweight kids find activities
they’ll enjoy and can do at their own pace. With your encouragement and
support, you and your child can start moving more together. Here’s how.
Build Confidence
Studies show that kids who feel more
confident about their ability to be physically active are more likely to
exercise. Try boosting your child’s confidence with these tips.
Make kids’ exercise easy to master. “All
kids want to feel competent and self-efficient in any activity they do,”
says Jackie Epping, MEd, a physical education expert at the Division of
Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity at the CDC. For a start,
“choose exercises that don’t take a lot of extra coordination and skill.
Brisk walking, bicycling, and swimming are all good options.”
Take it slow. While health experts
recommend that kids get 60 minutes of exercise a day, that can be a lot
for a kid who hasn’t been active.
“Start with just five to 10 minutes of
play,” says Laura Alderman, MEd, an exercise physiologist and wellness
coach at Sanford Health in Fargo, N.D. “For example, throw a Frisbee or
play volleyball for just a few minutes and then stop when the time is
up. The idea is to show kids that moving can be fun and to leave them
craving more.”
Avoid elimination games. Some games, such
as dodgeball, make it too easy to be eliminated from play. “These kinds
of games can make an overweight child feel self-conscious,” says
Epping. “And then the child sits out for the rest of the game and
doesn’t get any exercise.”
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