Many kids already know about staying healthy by eating good foods, but did you know that physical fitness is another way to stay in shape and ward off illnesses? I know what you’re thinking. What exactly counts as physical fitness? Physical fitness includes any activities you do that increase your heartbeat and breathing rate, works out your muscles, and burns some amount of energy in the process. With this in mind, you can probably guess that physical fitness is not only limited to sports. Playing a game of chase with your friends, dancing, or playing fetch with your dog can also count! If you don't get a chance to play sports everyday, why not try and fit in some physical activity around everyday chores instead? For example, mowing the lawn or raking leaves makes a quick workout! Taking the stairs instead of an elevator, or walking to school with friends are also different ways of adding in some physical activity into your day.
The more physical activity we do, the more we exercise different muscles in our body. When we perform exercise, our body releases certain chemicals called endorphins that help makes us feel happy and reduce stress. A healthy body is also better equipped to fight off germs and sickness. When you exercise, you also tend to sweat, but even this is a good thing! The body releases toxins and other types of microscopic waste matter through sweat. This helps your skin to keep clean, so you might even notice that zits are reduced! Finally, staying fit helps us to burn any extra energy and fat that is in our bodies, so that we can stay at a healthy, balanced weight level.
When working out and playing sports remember to warm up and cool down properly before and after. This helps to prepare your muscles so that they don’t get hurt. Don’t forget to hydrate yourself by drinking plenty of water to replace the moisture that you lose from your body.
In addition to water, you want to make sure you keep a keen eye on the sugar intake of your children. If they consume less sugar and move, it will help them burn excess fat that might have gathered when they were less active.
For some fun ideas on how to get fit and what exercises to try out, check out the links below. Find an activity that interests you and try it out. You might find that you’re a superstar at it! You might also find it helpful to keep a chart or log of your activity progress to see how you improve over time. As soon as you are done reviewing the resources, grab some friends, head out and get moving!
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