Keeping Kids Fit
These days, especially under the current restrictions, it’s increasingly important to keep the kids active, healthy and away from the dreaded mobile phones
Fitness for kids: list of 25 cardio exercises for kids of all ages
1- Running in Place
Tell the kids: “Run in place for 1 minute, trying as many different running styles as you can:
high knees, heels kicking your bottom,wide-leg running, or slow-motion running.” If the weather permits, do this exercise outside.
2- Jump Rope, Both Feet Low
For Exercises 2-6 you will need a jump rope for each participant.
Tell the kids: “Swing the rope smoothly and keep your feet close to the ground. Hold your elbows at your sides, turning the rope with your wrists.As the rope circles toward your feet, jump it. Count how many jumps you can do without stopping.”
3- Jump Rope, Both Feet High
Tell the kids: “As the rope circles toward your feet, jump it, bringing both feet up high.” Do this aerobic cardiovascular exercise for 1 minute.
4- Jump Rope, One Foot Only
Tell the kids: “As the rope circles toward your feet, jump over the rope using only one foot the entire time.” Do this fitness exercise for kids for 1 minute.
5- Jump Rope, Alternating Feet
Tell the kids: “As the rope circles toward your feet, jump over the rope, alternating the leg that is leading, for 1 minute.
6- Jump Rope, Scissor Jumps
Tell the kids:” As the rope circles toward your feet, jump over it first with your right leg in front and your left leg in the back;when the rope comes around again, switch the leg that leads, and keep alternating the leading leg in this way.”Do this workout for 1 minute.
7- Scissor Jumps
Tell the kids: “Begin in a standing position with one foot in front of the other.Jump up and switch the locations of your front foot and your back foot”.Try this exercise slowly and then speed up the movement.Repeat this movement 20 times.
8- Jumping Jacks
Tell the kids: “Jump and land with your feet wide apart; jump and land with your feet together.
Each set of one wide and one feet-together jump counts as one Jumping Jack.”
Do 15 Jumping Jacks. Variation: To make this more challenging, add an arm movement.
To do this, when your legs are together, your straightened arms are down at the sides of your legs.As you jump wide, raise your straightened arms sideways and upward until they are overhead.Learning the coordination to use their arms and legs together may take awhile for some children.
9- Skipping
Skipping is one of those exercises that all children should learn.It helps with coordination, rhythm, and timing.Practice skipping yourself and then demonstrate the movement to the
children.Sometimes children have a hard time learning to skip, but it’s an important skill to learn.
Tell the kids: “Step forward with your right foot, and then bring your left knee up and scoot forward at the same time.Immediately step forward with left foot and raise your right knee into a knee-lift-scoot. Repeat this series of movements 30 times.To help the kids remember what to do, say, “Step, knee lift, scoot forward” as they do the exercise.
10- Donkey Kicks
Tell the kids: “Keeping your feet on the floor, bend over at the waist until you can place the palms of your hands on the floor.“Walk” your hands slightly forward, and allow your buttocks to point up toward the ceiling.Swing your right leg up into a kick toward the ceiling.”Try this 5 times with one leg and then switch to the other leg and repeat 5 times.
11- High Kicks
Tell the kids: “In a standing position, swing your right leg and kick it up as high as you can in front of your body”.Repeat this movement 5 times and then switch legs, repeating 5 times with your left leg.Be careful not to use your back when kicking.
12- Frog Jump
Tell the kids:”Just like a frog, get into a squat position with your hands and feet on the floor.
Jump up as high and as far forward as you can”Repeat this movement 20 times.
13- Knee Taps
Tell the kids: “Run in place, bringing your knees up in front of your body.Using both hands, try to tap the knee that is in the up position.”Repeat this exercise 30 times.
14- Squats with Diagonal Jump-Ups
Tell the kids:” Stand with your feet hip-width apart and extend your arms in front of your chest.
Squat and then rotate the torso to the left as if you are going to touch the front of your left foot.
Jump up, rotate your torso to the right, and extend your arms over your right shoulder.Return to the starting position and repeat the squat.This time, reach down for the right foot and then jump up, extending your arms over your left shoulder” Continue to alternate sides, repeating the movement 20 times.
15- Side Lateral Leaps
Tell the kids: “Stand with your feet together and your weight on the right foot.Bend your knees and leap off your right foot, moving to the left as far as you can.Keep your knees in line with your feet.Land softly, with your feet together and your elbows bent at your sides.Return to the starting position, and this time put your weight on your left foot, bend your knees, and push off to your right side.Repeat this workout 10 times on each side.
16- Push-Backs
Tell the kids: “Stand with your feet slightly apart and your hands on your hips.Placing your weight on your right foot, extend your left leg behind you until only your toes touch the floor, creating a straight line from left heel to hips.Keeping your weight balanced over your right foot and your hips level, lean forward from your hips until your upper body and left leg are parallel to the floor.Hold this position for 10 seconds and then lower yourself back into the starting position.
Repeat with your other leg.Repeat this exercise 20 times.
17- Elbow–Knee
Tell the kids:” Stand with your feet a few inches apart. Bend your arms at the elbows;bring them up and out to the sides so that you look like a goalpost.Jump up and bring your left knee up toward your right elbow, twisting your torso to help you reach.Then return your leg to the starting position and repeat the movement, but this time bring your right knee up to your left side.Repeat this movement 20 times.
18- Tuck Jumps
Tell the kids: “Start in a standing position. Bend your knees.Then jump up, bringing your knees up in front of your body and slapping your hands onto them.”Repeat the fitness workout 15 times.
19- Speed Skate
Tell the kids:” Stand with your feet together, arms at your sides. Jump to the right, leading with your right leg Your left leg then follows and crosses behind your right foot as you land.Simultaneously, reach your left arm across your body as if you’re trying to touch the floor.
Repeat the motion, jumping to the left.Jump side to side as quickly as possible 30 times.
20- Side Skip-Ups
Tell the kids: “Begin in a standing position. Bend your knees and shift your body weight to the ball of your left foot.Then skip up, pushing with your left foot, jumping straight up, and bending your right knee at the top of the jump.Return to the starting position and skip up again, this time pushing off your right leg, jumping straight up, and bending your left knee at the top of the jump”
Repeat this sequence for 1 minute.
21- Plank Jumps
Tell the kids:” In a Squat position with your hands touching the ground in front of your knees (same position as if you are doing a Forward Roll), shift your weight to your hands and jump both feet back into a Plank Position.Immediately jump feet back into the starting position.” Repeat this series of movements 10 times.
22- Biking
Props: A bicycle and bike helmet for each participant Riding a bike is a great cardiovascular exercise. Go biking for 30 minutes.Biking is a good type of aerobic fitness for kids that increases the work of the heart and lungs for a limited time.
23- Hiking
Let the world be your gym. Explore the great outdoors by hiking trails, or walking through the woods and fields.Try hiking for 60 minutes.Variation: Try Geocaching which is an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use GPS to hide and seek containers at specific locations marked by coordinates.Go to geocaching.com and search for geocaching in your local area.If you don’t have a geocaching organization in your area, consider starting one yourself.
24- Orienteering
Orienteering is a fun form of land navigation for the entire family.This sport started out as a form of military training in the nineteenth century and has become a popular sport for everyone.You will need a compass and a detailed map to find points in the landscape.Orienteering can be enjoyed as a walk in the woods to learn to use a compass or it can be done as a professional sport, in which it is a timed event.A standard orienteering course consists of a start and a series of points, called control sites or clues, which are designated on the map.
By following the symbols on the map, you try to find each clue.When you find the clue, you verify your visit by using a paper-hole punch hanging next to the flag to mark your control card.
Follow all the clues and head for the finish line. Many different types of orienteering exist, such as foot, mountain bike, skiing, trail, and canoe orienteering. You can make up your own orienteering game by planning a route on a map and then timing the route.It’s a great way to learn, enjoy nature, burn calories, and enjoy your family and friends.
25- Swimming
Prop: A pool Swimming offers exercises for all ages and skill levels to do in the water. Swimming is a perfect cardio exercise for kids and adults as well that will increase the overall kid fitness as he will move all body muscles.