Children bustle with energy every moment of their waking hour. In the morning especially, they are bubbling with energy after a good night’s sleep. The best and most constructive way to channel their energy in the morning is to make them exercise.
Exercising in the morning not only helps stimulate their brain but pumps up their vital organs. They feel refreshed, their mood uplifts, and it helps increase their concentration power at school.
As per the experts, kids should get a minimum of 60 hours of daily exercise. Several different exercise regimes can be adopted throughout the day. Their exercise routine can be broken into small intervals of a few minutes.
The following write-up deals with the benefits of exercising for kids, especially in the morning.
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Benefits of Morning Exercise Routine for Kids
A morning exercise regime ensures a day full of success for children. Following are the advantages of exercising in the morning hours-
- Trampolines exercise- Jumping on a trampoline is a good exercise, and the g- force that bouncing produces helps to make muscle and burn fat rapidly. Muscles that get affected during trampoline workouts include legs, shanks, arms, hips, and abdomen. It also has the added benefit of perfecting dexterity and balance. However, when choosing a trampoline for kids, it is important to consider the safety aspect carefully.
- Stimulates the brain– a few minutes of physical exertion in the morning affects the brain positively. The brain refreshes after a night of deep slumber. It is ready to process and retain information better. There are instant benefits, and the brain can function better. The blood flow and oxygen flow improves. Exercise is like food for the brain to keep it healthy.
- Physical strength– by exercising children develop healthy bones, joints, and muscles. Additionally, their lungs and heart grow stronger. A healthy body is a healthy life.
- Improves learning– it has been proven that there is a strong relationship between exercising and brain performance. By exercising in the morning, the brain is more attentive, alert, and is motivated to learn. Further, the brain is wide awake to process and retain more information.
- Improves concentration– as little as 15-minutes of physical activity can keep a child-focused for hours. They have better concentration and end up learning more. In fact, a few minutes of physical exercise before a test can ensure better results.
- Improves mental health– the millennials suffer from mental health problems like stress, anxiety, depression, and panic. Kids these days suffer from various mental health issues like peer pressure, study pressure, and in general anxiety about living through the day. By exercising, stress levels are brought down drastically. Anxiety and panic attacks can be controlled that help the brain function better and reduce muscle tension. Depression is tackled when we exercise. That is to say, endorphins are released when we exercise. This hormone helps in keeping the brain and body fit.
- Uplifts the mood– when the brain is stimulated it ensures that it performs better. A good mood keeps the child socially engaged. They are more prone to coming up with new solutions to issues. It wards off the ill effects of a bad mood leading to children being withdrawn and defensive. Happy, joyful, and interesting are just some of the positive emotions that children feel. They are better at socializing.
- Fights obesity– obesity and lethargic lifestyle are some health issues plaguing the children. Physical exercise fights off overweight issues and keeps the children active.
- Improves postures– exercising helps improve bodily postures and balance. There is better coordination between their brain and the rest of the body.
- Chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes or heart disease are less likely to affect children.
- Children with ADHD benefit greatly if they spend a few hours exercising in the morning. It helps them control their hyperactive nature and channel it better.
Various Exercises to do in the Morning Routine
As a parent, there are numerous ways to get kids active in the morning. Ranging from the simple swinging of arms or jumping on the spot to aerobics, almost any type of exercise can be done.
- Warm-up – do some basic exercises like running on the spot or stretching or lunges or torso twists, etc. Go slow and ask the children to continue breathing normally. The idea is to get the kids started slowly and loosen up their muscles.
- Cardio exercises– keep them young at heart with some cardio workouts like jumping jacks, galloping, knee-high running, crab walking, etc. Incorporate this exercise regime once the children are warmed up nicely. Do let them catch their breath in between.
- Fun exercises– it is a great idea to include dancing and aerobics as workout sessions. The kids will enjoy dancing to music. It is a different and effective way to exercise.
- Cooling off– to finish the exercise routine encourages children to slightly stretch their body parts like necks, arms, legs, etc, and cool down.
How to Include Time for Exercising in the Morning?
As a parent, you might feel crunched up for time and space during the morning hours. However, a few minutes spent in the morning will do you and the kids tons of good.
- Join them and encourage them to exercise with you. You won’t just end with a fit body but spend some quality time with your young ones before starting the day.
- Do it as a game. Do not make it sound like another task. For example, “Simon says” is an effective way of getting the kids to exercise. It is a fun game that kids enjoy, and you would have achieved your purpose of getting the kids to exercise.
- If you do not have the time in the morning, enrol your child in morning exercise classes. If your child’s school has such a program, then it’s a great idea or else you can look for places that carry out morning exercises for children.
- Bounce house- another fun way to get the kids to work out physically is to let them play in the bounce house for a while. It benefits children mentally, socially, and physically. It helps boost their energy levels and improve coordination. If you do not own one, then purchase a bounce house from a bounce house store. Bounce houses can keep your kids engaged otherwise. They are fun to use at any time of the day.
Final words
Physical exertion in the morning is an awesome way to start the day. It can be sort of a family ritual in the morning wherein the entire family participates before beginning their day. Keep yourself and your children fit, healthy and active all through the day. It is a great investment for your child’s future.