Did you know that the current physical activity guidelines for kids is to participate in a minimum of 60 minutes of activity per day. These minutes should be a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. Moderate intensity is defined as activity that increases breathing, sweating, and heart rate and vigorous intensity substantially increases breathing, sweating, and heart rate (American College of Sports Medicine). This is a great opportunity to talk with your kids about the heart being a muscle and that it’s important for it to get exercise as well!
Here are a few ways to incorporate ‘heart’ exercise into your child’s day:
- Relay Race – this can get the whole family involved. Check out this post for some fun ideas!
- Obstacle Course – for added incentive, you can time how long it takes to complete and try to improve your time each round. Here are some fun ideas. Or check out our Obstacle Course Cards to let your kids design their own.
- Bike Ride – Check out these tips if your little one is still learning how to ride.
- Neighborhood Walk or Hike – Here are some fun options to switch up your typical walk: springtime walks, yoga walks, and nature walks. There are also many trails in the area with a variety of terrain and distances to find the right level of challenge you’re looking for
- Jumping Rope – this a versatile activity that can be done alone or in a group. Jump ropes are compact and easy to bring along on a trip to the park. We have some great information to help your little one improve with their coordination activities.
- Playground – in addition to playing on the play structure, other activities like running in sand, bark, or grass provide additional balance challenges
- Sports – soccer, basketball, and swimming are a few examples of sports that provide excellent ways to get your blood pumping.
Check out our original Heart Pumping Fun for more ideas!