Did you know that children are not getting anywhere near enough activity that they need each day? Yes, the world has been largely in and out of lockdown, which is causing some issues across the world when it comes to children being able to get out there and get some exercise. However, it’s not just lockdown related. Children are not getting enough activity per day and participation in physical activity is so important as the children get older.

You already know the benefits of physical activity: it’s why you go and exercise when you want to. It’s important that you make physical activity a part of your daily family life, and swim lessons can really help your children to become active while getting better at a new sport. Make it fun. Exercise is – by definition – boring. Help your children to find activities that they enjoy doing. The more they have fun while they’re doing it, the more they will be likely to continue it and have fun with it. For example, if your children love watching golf or playing the sport outdoors, maybe look into the best putting greens to put in the house for some fun on a rainy day!  physical activity doesn’t just help children to regulate their weight, it helps them to move better and it helps them to stand taller. Children need to be able to fall asleep quickly and sleep well, too. You need to get started with bringing your children into bigger and better activities, and some of the ways that you can do that are below:

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1. Talk to your child’s physician. A chat with the doctor will help both you and your child to understand why physical activity is so important. Your children’s doctor can also help you to come up with a schedule of activity to work well together while you work out.
2. Make it fun. Exercise is – by definition – boring. Help your children to find activities that they enjoy doing. The more they have fun while they’re doing it, the more they will be likely to continue it and have fun with it. 
3. Don’t do too much. While it’s good to get out and exercise, you don’t want to put your toddler into rugby when they’re not the right age for that yet! You want to make sure that your kids are happy and healthy but at the right rate! Exercise has to be fun and something that they want to continue to do.
4. Plan ahead for your exercise. You want your children to be active and it’s hard to do that on a whim when you have so many other things planned. Get your kids to have a convenient time and place to exercise and you can ensure that they get a safe environment to practice and move.
5. Give active toys. If you have super young children, encouraging movement with jump ropes, climbing toys, ride-ons and more can help them to feel like they are moving and staying healthy.
6. Be a role model. If you want your children moving, do it together. If they see you take part in sports and movement, they will want to do the same thing themselves, too. 
7. Play! One of the best ways to get your children active is to play together. Walk, ride a bike or swim together and you’ll all feel the benefits. Activity doesn’t have to be a hardship if you make it something you do together.