Exercise is an important part of keeping children healthy. Encouraging healthy lifestyles in children and adolescents is important for when they grow older. Lifestyles that are learned in childhood are more likely to stay with the child into adulthood. Some changes in lifestyle can be harder to make the older the person becomes. The best way to promote healthy lifestyles is for the whole family to become involved.
A daily exercise program is a fun way to share physical activity with family and friends, while helping establish good heart-healthy habits. The following exercise guidelines for children can help you and your child plan activities:
Even low-to-moderate intensity activities for as little as 30 minutes a day can be beneficial. These activities may include the following:
Regular aerobic activity increases a child's capacity for exercise and plays a role in prevention of heart diseases and type 2 diabetes. Aerobic activities are continuous activities that cause the heart rate and breathing rate to increase. Aerobic exercise can also help to lower blood pressure. To prevent dehydration, encourage children to drink fluid regularly during physical activity and drink several glasses of water or other fluid after the physical activity is completed. Examples of vigorous activities may include the following:
For children, daily exercise may help prevent conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, poor cholesterol levels, and poor lifestyle habits that may lead to heart conditions later in life.
Exercise on a regular basis is part of a healthy lifestyle. However, some children can exercise too much. If your child begins losing weight and falls below expected growth patterns, or if exercise interferes with other normal activities including school, consult your child's physician.
The following are just some of the benefits that regular exercise or physical activity provides:
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