Children sure know how to wear us out, but how do we make sure they’re wearing themselves out? When the weather is warm, most kids are desperate to be outside running around all day. However, on rainy or cold days it’s harder to make sure they’re keeping active.
Here are some ideas for making sure you get enough exercise into your children each day all year round - no matter what the weather throws at you.
Walk Everywhere!
This is one I’m going to make sure we action straight away! Sometimes we get so accustomed to jumping in the car that we forget that there are lots of places that are within walking distance. The school run is an ideal place to start (especially as it’s probably much less stressful) but of course, it’s not always possible depending on how far away you live.
For us, it’s slightly out of reach but there’s no reason why we can’t allow a little longer and make it our goal to regularly walk into town. It’s an easy way for everyone to increase their steps and the bonus is that you won’t get carried away with buying too much as it will be too tricky to carry it all home.
There’s No Such Thing As Bad Weather, Only Bad Clothes
I heard this phrase for the first time over the summer and it’s actually so true. In Ireland, we’re rarely guaranteed sunshine so it makes sense that we should be out having fun whatever the weather. I’ve always made sure that our two boys have raincoats, but more recently I’ve invested in good ones for us grown-ups too. We’ve no longer got an excuse for cutting a game of soccer short or coming home early from the beach. If you’re serious about everyone getting enough exercise you need to get serious about getting the right clothes too.
Get Social!
We all know that exercise is more fun if you enjoy it with friends so if you want your children to take up something new, why not find out what after school clubs their classmates are members of? There might be something that they hadn’t even considered that they’d really enjoy such as gymnastics, karate or horse riding. While swimming lessons are beneficial, it could be fun to arrange a playdate at the pool too; after all, the more splashing around they do with their mates, the less chance that you’ll get dunked…
Get Creative With Your Chores
I’ve always found that my son enjoys outdoor chores much more than indoor ones, and that’s probably because he gets fresh air and exercise at the same time. Helping with the gardening and washing the car are both useful, but they’re also great for getting them moving around. Don’t make it too easy on them and make sure they’ll be busy for at least an hour. By the time they’re finished you’ll both be pleased as punch with the final result and they’ll be filled with exercise-induced endorphins!
