Experts say that getting kids of different ages involved in various physical and sports activities can help develop their motor skills and muscle building, and reduce their risk of injuries or help heal minor injuries.
It's never too early to encourage a love of physical activity in kids by exposing them to fun physical and sports activities. Experts recommend kids and teens 6-17 years old do at least one hour of aerobic exercise daily.
Strength training activities that build muscles should also be part of a 60-minute workout routine at least three days a week.
This training time might seem long, but if you think about how active kids run and play every day, you'll realize these minutes are easily met. In this article, we'll share some tips to help you pick physical activities that suit your child’s age.
Kids aged 3-5 years
Experts recommend that kids aged 3-5 stay active throughout the day. Regular physical activity helps improve bone health and sets your kids on a healthy lifestyle path to keep a good weight as they grow, without risks of injury. Obesity.
Kids in preschool can play team sports like soccer, basketball, or baseball, but team sports should be just for fun, not competition.
Swimming is also a healthy option to encourage your child to be active, but it's good to teach kids water safety between 6 months and 3 years. Experts recommend preschool kids and their parents start with basic swimming lessons.
These lessons usually start by teaching blowing bubbles and exploring underwater before official swimming classes. Kids are ready to learn breathing control, floating, and basic kicks around 4-5 years old.
Kids between 6-8 years old
By age six, kids are old enough to kick a soccer ball, baseball, or basketball. They can also do gymnastics, ride and steer a two-wheel bike confidently. It's a good time to introduce them to various sports related to fitness.
Doing different sports helps support healthy full body development, but watch out for possible injuries from too much physical activity, like strains, heel pain, or even fractures.
Kids between 9-11 years old
Kids aged 9-11 start to coordinate hand and eye, so they can hit and throw a baseball accurately and also hit tennis balls. At this age, you can encourage them to compete as long as you don't just focus on your kid winning.
If your kid is also into joining events like long-distance running races, don't stop them. Encourage it as long as it's safe and they've trained and stayed well hydrated.
Kids aged 12-14
Once your kid hits their teens, they might lose interest in sports and want to focus on building strength or muscle. But remember, unless your kid has hit puberty, don't encourage lifting heavy weights.
You can encourage other healthy options like resistance bands, elastic straps, and bodyweight exercises like squats and push-ups. These activities build strength without risking bones or joints.
Kids are more likely to get hurt during growth spurts. They might get serious injuries if they lift heavy weights or use bad form while throwing or running.
Kids aged 15 and above
Once your teen has gone through puberty, they are ready to lift weights. Encourage them to train with experts so they don't hurt their muscles or risk fractures.
If your child shows interest in endurance events like marathons, don't stop them if their age fits the event's rules.
You should remember that training importance is less for teens compared to parents, so understand this and monitor their nutrition and hydration, and learn how to spot heat-related illness signs.
Staying active at any age helps boost overall health and builds a solid base for raising healthy kids who grow into healthy adults. Kids are naturally active, and encouraging that with proper age-fit fitness guidelines will form lasting healthy habits.
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