Why you should work out with your kids
Saturday, March 3, 2018
The other day I found myself moaning to friends that there just weren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done, from working a full-time job, studying, chores, exercising, cooking for my family, and spending time with my kid. After listening to me moan for a bit, one sympathetic friend then asked ‘Why aren’t you doing some of these things with your kid?’ and it hit me how simple this answer was, and yet it was the answer to all my problems. Why not indeed?
Sticking with an exercise routine can be a struggle for anyone. But for parents, squeezing in workouts can feel near impossible. After all, how are you supposed to find time to work out when you can’t even go to the bathroom undisturbed?! It’s hard to find dedicated “alone time” as a parent — but do you really need it? If you’re struggling with finding time to work out alone without the kids, you may have learned that isn’t always possible. So embrace working out with your kids and let them see that Mommy is a strong woman who enjoys working out!
But why should my kids work out?
Children in Hong Kong suffer from a lack of outdoor exposure and play (Unicef, 2015), with anecdotal evidence suggesting that this is due to the city culture, as well as the Sars and bird flu outbreaks in the last two decades which have created mental barriers within parents, who equate dirt with germs and are afraid to let their children outside to play (Outward Bound, 2017).
With child obesity on the rise in many countries, fewer than 25% of children are getting the recommended 60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per day as recommended by the American Medical Association. Children instinctively love to move and as your children grow older, workouts together can also be a way of bonding and keeping communication open during difficult periods of growing up.
Some good reasons why kids should work out:
• Children who are active 60 minutes per day demonstrate lower rates of obesity.
• Greater rates of activity in children have been associated with higher test scores in reading and math.
• Physical (body) and cognitive (brain) development go hand-in-hand. While this continues for life, this relationship is most critical at a young age. When kids are active, their brain develops, allowing for new types of activity.
• Frequent physical activity has been associated with improved behavior in the classroom and beyond.
• Active children are more likely to become active adults.
• Aerobic activity has been shown to increase the size of essential brain structures and number of neural connections.
• Frequent activities requiring a high degree of balance and coordination have been associated with improved emotional response.
• Frequent exercise decreases symptoms of depression and anxiety in children.
• Regular exercise with children promotes self-efficacy with regard to health and self-image.
So what can you do together? We’ve rounded up our favourite ideas for you to try now that the weather is getting warmer outside.
Decide together as a family
Try to make exercising together a regular part of your family life. Come up with physical activities your family loves to do together, be that hiking, skiing, bike riding, rollerblading, canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing, swimming, skating, playing golf or tennis, ice skating, or even walking the hallways of a nearby science, children’s or art museums. Join a community center or gym where the whole family can swim, exercise or take different classes, whether it’s the local Urban Services Leisure and Sports facilities, the YMCA, or country clubs.
Make it fun
Shoot hoops. Kick around a soccer ball. Go bike riding with your kids or have races to see who can make it across the park fastest. Or jog along as your kids ride their bikes or trikes. When at the playground, don’t just sit and watch the kids play. Join in! Or, run around the area, so that you can go for a jog while always keeping the kids in sight.
Boogie away
Dancing is terrific exercise with major calorie burning and cardio workout built-in. Put on your favorite dance music, call out to the kids, and start a rock or boogie party in the family room. Or need some inspiration: Google a fun music / dance video for inspiration and follow along. Try Beyonce or Katy Perry for some funky choreographed moves!
Take classes together
Enroll in a class with your child - martial arts and self defence classes are perfect for this, as are street dance or painting. Your kids will think it hilarious when you join at first! But you will have your own cheering squad on when it comes to earning belts! So from tennis to yoga, enroll together!
Get outside
Sometimes the best days are when you just head to the beach or park and throw a ball around. Keeping it simple saves money and makes you creative. Being outside also helps your child to develop stronger immunity, gross motor and vestibular skills. Head to the park or beach, and play hide and seek, frisbee, rounders, touch rugby, tag, king ball, traffic lights, What’s the time, Mr. Wolf?, Grandmother’s footsteps, Marco Polo, piggy in the middle, football, catch, capture the flag. The number of games is unlimited!
Plogging!
Jogging is out, plogging is in! The new Swedish craze combines walking, jogging and picking up litter. All that bending, stretching, picking up rubbish gets everyone warmed up in no time and saves the environment! A double win in our eyes. Bring a bin bag, get down to your local beach and make it competition to see who can find the most trash.
Love thy neighbour
Have busy neighbours with dogs? Offer to dog-walk or pet-sit. Elderly neighbour? Offer to do grocery shopping for those who can’t manage it. Not only are you helping your little one to strengthen their muscles and develop their immunity, they also learn how to socialise with others (including animals!) and help develop a sense of community.
Exercising gives you more energy, helps you lose weight, strengthen muscle tone, builds immunity and improves circulation, moods and self-confidence. You owe it to yourself and your family to stay as healthy as you can, as well as setting your kids the example of being healthy. Even 10-minute increments make a difference, and getting your kids and partner into the act makes it much easier and way more fun! Whatever you decide to do with your kids, the fact is working out together brings a multitude of benefits to them, to you, and perhaps your community. So what are you waiting for?
Interested in your child learning to defend themselves? Sign up for Krav Maga at Mighty Oaks International Kindergarten & Nursery! Krav Maga is a survival system dealing with personal safety issues in the context of defending against both armed and unarmed attackers, designed to be utilized against muggings, street attacks, and sexual assaults. Children will learn how to recognize common threats and self-defence techniques through a carefully designed Krav Maga training program. This class is led by Derek Poon, National Director of Krav Maga Hong Kong - IKMF and Director/Head Trainer at Hong Kong Sports Medicine Fitness Professionals company limited.
Date: March 24th, 2018 (Saturday)
Time: 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Venue: Mighty Oaks 奧恩
Age: from age 4 upwards
Price: HK$300 per child
Email: info@mightyoaks.edu.hk Tel: +852 2806 8383
When it comes to choosing the right after school activity in Hong Kong, children face a multitude of choices. Navigating through all the possibilities isn’t easy, and our Hong Kong Kindergarten Specialist is to help guide you. Click here to find out more!
➡【Join our Mighty Oaks family!/ 快來加入奧恩大家庭】
➡【 Sign up for Acorn Trial Class now!/Acorn 試堂優惠】
Sticking with an exercise routine can be a struggle for anyone. But for parents, squeezing in workouts can feel near impossible. After all, how are you supposed to find time to work out when you can’t even go to the bathroom undisturbed?! It’s hard to find dedicated “alone time” as a parent — but do you really need it? If you’re struggling with finding time to work out alone without the kids, you may have learned that isn’t always possible. So embrace working out with your kids and let them see that Mommy is a strong woman who enjoys working out!
But why should my kids work out?
Children in Hong Kong suffer from a lack of outdoor exposure and play (Unicef, 2015), with anecdotal evidence suggesting that this is due to the city culture, as well as the Sars and bird flu outbreaks in the last two decades which have created mental barriers within parents, who equate dirt with germs and are afraid to let their children outside to play (Outward Bound, 2017).
With child obesity on the rise in many countries, fewer than 25% of children are getting the recommended 60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per day as recommended by the American Medical Association. Children instinctively love to move and as your children grow older, workouts together can also be a way of bonding and keeping communication open during difficult periods of growing up.
Some good reasons why kids should work out:
• Children who are active 60 minutes per day demonstrate lower rates of obesity.
• Greater rates of activity in children have been associated with higher test scores in reading and math.
• Physical (body) and cognitive (brain) development go hand-in-hand. While this continues for life, this relationship is most critical at a young age. When kids are active, their brain develops, allowing for new types of activity.
• Frequent physical activity has been associated with improved behavior in the classroom and beyond.
• Active children are more likely to become active adults.
• Aerobic activity has been shown to increase the size of essential brain structures and number of neural connections.
• Frequent activities requiring a high degree of balance and coordination have been associated with improved emotional response.
• Frequent exercise decreases symptoms of depression and anxiety in children.
• Regular exercise with children promotes self-efficacy with regard to health and self-image.
So what can you do together? We’ve rounded up our favourite ideas for you to try now that the weather is getting warmer outside.
Decide together as a family
Try to make exercising together a regular part of your family life. Come up with physical activities your family loves to do together, be that hiking, skiing, bike riding, rollerblading, canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing, swimming, skating, playing golf or tennis, ice skating, or even walking the hallways of a nearby science, children’s or art museums. Join a community center or gym where the whole family can swim, exercise or take different classes, whether it’s the local Urban Services Leisure and Sports facilities, the YMCA, or country clubs.
Make it fun
Shoot hoops. Kick around a soccer ball. Go bike riding with your kids or have races to see who can make it across the park fastest. Or jog along as your kids ride their bikes or trikes. When at the playground, don’t just sit and watch the kids play. Join in! Or, run around the area, so that you can go for a jog while always keeping the kids in sight.
Boogie away
Dancing is terrific exercise with major calorie burning and cardio workout built-in. Put on your favorite dance music, call out to the kids, and start a rock or boogie party in the family room. Or need some inspiration: Google a fun music / dance video for inspiration and follow along. Try Beyonce or Katy Perry for some funky choreographed moves!
Take classes together
Enroll in a class with your child - martial arts and self defence classes are perfect for this, as are street dance or painting. Your kids will think it hilarious when you join at first! But you will have your own cheering squad on when it comes to earning belts! So from tennis to yoga, enroll together!
Get outside
Sometimes the best days are when you just head to the beach or park and throw a ball around. Keeping it simple saves money and makes you creative. Being outside also helps your child to develop stronger immunity, gross motor and vestibular skills. Head to the park or beach, and play hide and seek, frisbee, rounders, touch rugby, tag, king ball, traffic lights, What’s the time, Mr. Wolf?, Grandmother’s footsteps, Marco Polo, piggy in the middle, football, catch, capture the flag. The number of games is unlimited!
Plogging!
Jogging is out, plogging is in! The new Swedish craze combines walking, jogging and picking up litter. All that bending, stretching, picking up rubbish gets everyone warmed up in no time and saves the environment! A double win in our eyes. Bring a bin bag, get down to your local beach and make it competition to see who can find the most trash.
Love thy neighbour
Have busy neighbours with dogs? Offer to dog-walk or pet-sit. Elderly neighbour? Offer to do grocery shopping for those who can’t manage it. Not only are you helping your little one to strengthen their muscles and develop their immunity, they also learn how to socialise with others (including animals!) and help develop a sense of community.
Exercising gives you more energy, helps you lose weight, strengthen muscle tone, builds immunity and improves circulation, moods and self-confidence. You owe it to yourself and your family to stay as healthy as you can, as well as setting your kids the example of being healthy. Even 10-minute increments make a difference, and getting your kids and partner into the act makes it much easier and way more fun! Whatever you decide to do with your kids, the fact is working out together brings a multitude of benefits to them, to you, and perhaps your community. So what are you waiting for?
Interested in your child learning to defend themselves? Sign up for Krav Maga at Mighty Oaks International Kindergarten & Nursery! Krav Maga is a survival system dealing with personal safety issues in the context of defending against both armed and unarmed attackers, designed to be utilized against muggings, street attacks, and sexual assaults. Children will learn how to recognize common threats and self-defence techniques through a carefully designed Krav Maga training program. This class is led by Derek Poon, National Director of Krav Maga Hong Kong - IKMF and Director/Head Trainer at Hong Kong Sports Medicine Fitness Professionals company limited.
Date: March 24th, 2018 (Saturday)
Time: 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Venue: Mighty Oaks 奧恩
Age: from age 4 upwards
Price: HK$300 per child
Email: info@mightyoaks.edu.hk Tel: +852 2806 8383
When it comes to choosing the right after school activity in Hong Kong, children face a multitude of choices. Navigating through all the possibilities isn’t easy, and our Hong Kong Kindergarten Specialist is to help guide you. Click here to find out more!
➡【Join our Mighty Oaks family!/ 快來加入奧恩大家庭】
➡【 Sign up for Acorn Trial Class now!/Acorn 試堂優惠】
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