It can be tough to keep kids activity levels up and screen time down during the winter months between Kids Run Club seasons. According to the CDC, school aged children should participate in 60 minutes of physical activity every day to stay healthy. In addition to moderate-intensity aerobic workouts like jogging that get the heart beating faster, the 60 minutes of daily activity can include some other types of movement too! Three days out of the week, try to have kids incorporate some of the following types of movement into their day; vigorous-intensity aerobic activity like sprinting or running up the stairs, muscle strengthening activities like monkey bars, push-ups, or jumping jacks, and bone strengthening exercises like jump-rope and basketball – activities that put pressure on the bones.
Here are some great tips, resources, and ideas to get kids and the whole family moving this winter!
Indoor Activities
The Move Your Way campaign is an initiative through the US Department of Health dedicated to making it easier for people to fit physical activity into their daily lives. They have a whole page of resources for adults on how to get kids moving when they’re stuck inside on bad weather days. Have a dance party! Do push-ups during a TV commercial break! Check out this video from Move Your Way for more tips on how to keep kids active even when they’re stuck indoors.
Another great resource for activity ideas is Active SWV’s Kids Run Club manual. It has examples and descriptions of stationary exercises that kids can practice at home to build strength and get ready for the spring Kids Run Club season. Try out some great muscle strengthening exercises like wall sits, planks, squats, and push-ups. Add some music or make it a competition to get kids excited to move!
Get Active as a Family
Adults need to get moving just like kids, so why not do it as a family? Here are some tips and resources to help families get active together and stay healthy during the colder winter months.
The organization Action for Healthy Kids is dedicated to improving the health of school aged children to increase their learning potential in the classroom. They have a whole initiative focused on ‘Activity at Home’ containing some great ideas for family activities that you can check out here. They suggest starting a routine that incorporates physical activity, planning a family outing where everyone can be active, and setting some family fitness goals.
Move Your Way also provides resources on how families can easily incorporate physical activity into the day. This video suggests small, every day activities that families can do together like racing out to the car, making the most of walks, and doing chores together.
Another great way to get some family activity in during the winter is to attend one of our many Active SWV programs! Our Community Captain led programs include indoor and outdoor activities like walks, hikes, pickleball, basketball, water aerobics, yoga, REFIT, rock climbing, and more. All activities are FREE and open to people of all ages. Take a look at our monthly program calendar to see what activities are happening in your area this month.
