What is kid’s fitness?
If you have ever walked past a playground and witnessed kids in action, or taken the children in your life to a park to play, you have witnessed the foundations of kids fitness.
WHAT?! That’s it?! Yes, my friends! That is, it. Forget the “rules” about not letting your knee go past your toe, the constant reminder to “keep your abs tight”, or “engage your core”, and the encouragement to “feel the burn”. For kids, fitness should be about living an active lifestyle that involves having fun with their friends. By encouraging this, I assure you, children are engaging in activity that supports all 3 components of fitness: strength, endurance, and flexibility.
Let’s take a closer look. Remember those kids on the playground? Did you notice the children crossing the monkey bars? You witnessed strength training in action! How about the little ones racing to the slide? This is endurance training at its finest. And those boys playing with the ball? You observed flexibility as they bend to pick up the ball, stretch to catch it, and take stance to throw.
When it comes to kid’s fitness we must remember kids are NOT miniature adults. Their bodies, minds, and spirits are still developing and we have a responsibility to meet them where they are rather than to try to force adult “rules” on to them. If we look at kid’s fitness in a way that resembles play, we set our children up for a love of physical activity and a life of wellness!
If you are looking for age appropriate “play with purpose” programs for the children in your life, consider bringing Recess & Results to your community! Learn more
