Fitness: Toddlers to Teens

Start Early!

Most kids who start out enjoying sports and exercise tend to stay active throughout their lives. So they might just need a little encouragement to keep it going [from the toddler to] teen years.

 

Fitness for Toddlers

Kids this age are walking and running, kicking, and throwing. They’re naturally active, so be sure to provide lots of chances for your child to practice and build on these skills.
How much is enough? Physical activity guidelines for toddlers recommend that each day they:

  • get at least 30 minutes of structured (adult-led) physical activity
  • get at least 60 minutes of unstructured (free play) physical activity
  • not be inactive for more than 1 hour at a time except when sleeping

 

Fitness for Preschoolers

By the time kids are 4 to 5 years old, their physical skills like running, jumping, kicking, and throwing, have come a long way. Now they’ll continue to refine these skills and build on them to learn more complex ones.

Take advantage of your child’s natural tendency to be active. Feeling confident about his or her abilities builds self-esteem, and staying fit decreases the risk of serious illnesses later in life.

Physical activity guidelines for preschoolers recommend that each day:

  • they get at least 60 minutes of structured (adult-led) physical activity
  • they get at least 60 minutes of unstructured (free play) physical activity
  • they not be inactive for more than 1 hour at a time unless sleeping

 

Kids this age need physical activity to build strength, coordination, and confidence — and to lay the groundwork for a healthy lifestyle. They’re also gaining more control over how active they are.

 

Fitness for Your 6 to 12 Year Olds

School-age kids should have many chances to participate in a variety of activities, sports, and games that fit for their personality, ability, age, and interests. Brainstorm with your kids on activities that feel right. Most kids won’t mind a daily dose of fitness as long as it’s fun.

Physical activity guidelines for school-age kids recommend that each day they:

  • get 1 hour or more of moderate and vigorous physical activity on most or all days
  • participate in several bouts of physical activity of 15 minutes or more each day
  • avoid periods of inactivity of 2 hours or more unless sleeping

 

Fitness in the Teen Years

It’s recommended that teens get at least 1 hour of physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. Yet physical activity tends to lag during the teen years. Many teens drop out of organized sports, and participation in daily physical education classes is a thing of the past.

But given the opportunity and interest, teens can get health benefits from almost any activity they enjoy — skateboarding, in-line skating, yoga, swimming, dancing, or kicking a footbag in the driveway. Weight training, under supervision of a qualified adult, can improve strength and help prevent sports injuries.

 

Teens can work physical activity into everyday routines, such as walking to school, doing chores, or finding an active part-time job. They can be camp counselors, babysitters, or assistant coaches for young sports teams, jobs that come with a chance to be active.

 

LEARN MORE AT KIDSHEALTH.ORG
http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_center/