Making Sure My Kids Are On Track

Fun Suggestions To Encourage Your Child To Be More Active

27 July 2016

Jackson Henry

Are you the parent of a child in elementary school? Do you live in an apartment that lacks a large yard and so you worry about your child getting out of shape? Your child's pediatrician has probably already told you that if your child eats right and plays a lot, you have little to worry about. But if you're eating healthy and struggling with ways to keep your kid active, here are some ideas that you might want to consider:

Weekly trips to the park: Visiting the park isn't always the most exciting activity for adults, but it can be a great way to get your child active. If your child is old enough to be mostly unsupervised when playing at the park, bring along some work that you need to complete. This might be actual work from your work or it may just be your weekly budget. Whatever it is, the project will help prevent you from feeling like you could be doing better things with your time than just sitting in a park.

Gym membership: If it gets very hot or very cold where you live, visiting the park may not be very practical. Look for a gym membership that has child-friendly options. There are indoor play gyms that are geared towards kids and that have things like slides, ball pits, and jungle gyms in an indoor area. These can be a great way for your child to burn off excess energy that he or she accumulates throughout the week. On the other hand, you may want to look for an adult gym membership that just happens to allow kids. Your kid may be able to go swimming, play basketball, or play racquetball inside while you are elsewhere working out. Before you leave your kid to do your own thing, make sure that your child meets the minimum age requirements for being left alone. Some gyms may require your child to be just 12 years old to be unsupervised while others will expect you to wait until he or she is 16.

Get a small dog: If your landlord allows you to have pets, a small dog can be a great way to get your child to exercise. A small dog can be a tiny bundle of energy that always wants to play, encouraging your child to do things even while just inside your apartment. Even in the limited space of a small apartment, your child and dog may be able to stay active enough to keep them both healthy and happy. But the dog will also need to be walked every day. This doesn't have to be extremely long distance, but even just a short walk around the apartment complex is going to be more activity than simply sitting in front of your television set, playing video games.

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