Improving Your Child's Fitness

Topic Overview

Improving your child's or teen's fitness may boost his or her academic performance, self-concept, and mental health. Here are some helpful guidelines for improving your child's fitness.

Experts recommend that teens and children (starting at age 6) do moderate to vigorous activity at least 1 hour every day.¹ And 3 or more days a week, what they choose to do should:

• Make them breathe harder and make the heart beat much faster.
• Make their muscles stronger. For example, they could play on playground equipment, play tug-of-war, lift weights, or use resistance bands.
• Make their bones stronger. For example, they could run, do hopscotch, jump rope, or play basketball or tennis.

It's okay for them to be active in smaller blocks of time that add up to 1 hour or more each day.

Encourage your child to participate in various types of activities, including sports. You can join your child in some activities, such as vigorous walking, in-line skating, bicycling, tennis, dancing in the home, and exercising along with a TV program.

Related Information

• Type 2 Diabetes in Children

References

Citations

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2008). 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (ODPHP Publication No. U0036). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Available online: http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/guidelines/default.aspxf.

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