Exercise Tips For The Preschool Set

With childhood obesity on the rise it has never been more important for kids to get in shape. And it's never too early for kids to start.

Early Show Fitness Expert Minna Lessig helps combat child obesity with exercises designed for preschoolers.

The challenge for parents is to find ways to encourage children to be physically active. The good news is that kids are never too young to learn good exercise habits.

Here are Minna’s recommended activities for ages 3 and older:

• Jump the Brook: The key to getting kids to exercise is capturing their imagination so that it's fun for them to participate. An easy one to do anywhere is Jump the Brook. For this exercise, take a towel and lay it on the sidewalk. The child stands on one side of the "brook" and attempts to jump over it without "falling in." As the child succeeds, the towel can be widened to increase the width of the "brook."
  
  This develops lower body strength, specifically the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. If you don't have a towel hand., you can also use chalk on the sidewalk to create a "brook."
  
  
• Wheelbarrow: This one is a favorite on family picnics. It's simple to master and kids love it. Have the child lie face down on the floor. Parents grasp child's ankles and lift upwards. Ask the child to push up with his or her arms until they are straight. With his head up, the child should walk his hands forward. The child's body should not sag.
  
  This develops chest, shoulder, and abdominal muscles.
  
  
• Row, Row, Row Your Boat: This one is especially good for younger children or 3 or 4. Parents sit on floor with their legs apart; child sits opposite with legs in the middle. Grasp the child's hands. The child leans back as if "rowing a boat" then pulls upright to sit. Repeat. Sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" to make it more enjoyable.
  
  This exercise works the back, arms, and abdominal muscles.
  
  
• Jumping Beans: Another fun one for the younger set is imitating a jumping bean. The child should hold your hands and begin bouncing. After a bit of bouncing, the child should progress to jumping up and down. Stop after a few minutes, rest, and then start again. Child should try this hopping on one foot and then the other. Also, varying the speed (fast or slow) can increase the intensity of the workout.
  
  This exercise is great cardio and helps develop coordination and explosiveness. This plyometric exercise also works the lower body muscles. Plyometric exercise consists of rapidly stretching a muscle and immediately following with a contraction of the same muscle. This improves power output in the muscle. It improves reaction time because the muscle is trained to be more explosive.
  
  
• Wall Push-Ups: Kids love to imitate adult activities, so wall push-ups give them an introduction to adult push-ups. Child should stand about an arm's distance away from a wall with his legs together and should place his hands on the wall just a little wider than his shoulders. Children should lean forward and touch their nose to the wall and then push back to starting position, making sure to keep the body in a straight line and heels on the floor. See how many they can do.
  
  Like regular push-ups, this exercise works the chest and arm muscles.
  
  
• Beanbag Balance: Developing balance and coordination are just as important as strengthening little muscles. This exercise works well with all ages. Place a beanbag, or soft toy, on the child's head. Ask the child to walk from one place to another without dropping the beanbag. To make it easier, have the child hold the beanbag in place. To make it harder have the child walk under or around things. For variation, place the beanbag on another body part, like the back of the hand, shoulder, or elbow. Use a different toy or more than one toy.
  
  This exercise helps develop balance and coordination.
  
  
• Hula-Hoop and Jump Rope: Cardio training is also an important part of a child's fitness development and kid-friendly games like hula hoop and jump rope are great for keeping kids in shape. Hula Hoop works the abdominals and jumping rope develops hand/eye/foot coordination and is excellent cardio training.

Remember that children take their cues from their parents, so if they see you eating healthy and being active (i.e. walking instead of driving, taking the stairs instead of the elevator) they are likely to grow up and emulate your healthy and fit lifestyle. Good fitness habits begin at home and you are never too young to start.

The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) insist physical activity has a tremendous impact on a child's physical, intellectual, and emotional development.

Frequently asked questions:

How young should kids start exercising?

Practically the moment they leave the womb. The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) recently issued exercise guidelines recommending that everyone from babies, to toddlers, to preschoolers set aside time for physical activity.

Infants need daily activity and should not be confined to a small play space. Infants should be encouraged to sit, stand, and walk. Toddlers should have 30 minutes a day of adult-guided activity such as dancing or chasing a ball. Preschoolers (ages 3-5) need at least an hour.

How much exercise do kids need?

NASPE recommends that preschoolers and olderaccumulate at least 60 minutes a day of "structured" physical activity and at least 60 minutes - and up to several hours - of "unstructured" physical activity. The structured play/exercise could be conducted in shorter increments throughout the day.

Preschoolers should not be sedentary for more than 60 minutes at a time (except when sleeping). They should also develop competence in movement skills that are building blocks for more complex movement tasks (i.e. roll, kick, throw, catch).

What types of exercises are appropriate for ages 3 and older?

NASPE recommends exercises that help the child develop a variety of different movement skills rather than having a child achieve a high level of movement competence in any one skill. Safe objects, like an inflatable ball, should be offered to the child to roll, kick, throw, and catch.

Cooperative and noncompetitive games should capture the child's imagination while helping thim to develop locomotor, non-locomotor, and manipulative skills. Balance stunts and simple tumbling activities can increase the child's strength and body management.

Practicing movement skills to the beat of music should also be encouraged. An adequate space should be provided for kids to engage in more advanced motor skills like running, jumping, and hopping. The NASPE considers adequate space to be at least 5' x7' indoors or 75 square feet outdoors.

Does it matter if parents participate in the child's "structured play?

Yes, according to NASPE, family members, parents, and/or caregivers serve as role models and their participation in physical activity can influence a child's urge to participate in physical activity. Parents who appreciate the importance of movement and exercise are better able to facilitate physical activity for their children and are then able to spot any potentially problematic developmental delays.

So how do you get a young child to exercise?

The key to getting kids to exercise is capturing their imagination so that its fun for them to participate. Since most children have short attention spans, a kid’s fitness workout should be almost circuit training style, moving quickly from one activity to the next so that they don't get bored.