No matter your kid’s age, there’s no better time of the year — it’s summer everyone! — to get them excited about exercise. And the best time to start is when your kids are super young.
“Those years are the best time for your kids to find the fun in being active,” Abigail Allen, MD, chief of pediatric orthopedic surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital, told The Post. “This is when you can instill habits in your kids that will last for the rest of their lives.”
Even if your kids are more glued to their devices than walks in the park or pick-up games on a basketball court, it’s never too late to get them excited to move. Read on as our experts sketch out realistic age-by-age tips to get kids fit and have fun.
It’s elementary
Between pre-K and fifth grade, the best way to get kids interested in exercising is to model it for them, said Michele Kelber, founder of Gantry Kids, a kids’ gym in Long Island City.
“Kids are mimickers at this age,” she said. “They will do whatever it is you do because they want to be with you.”
Ultimately, the choices you make now will have an impact. This is the time to take big steps to rethink movement, including something as simple as walking home from school instead of driving or taking the bus.
“You want this time to be foundation-building,” she said. “It shouldn’t be ‘I have to do this’ but more a chance to add movement to their lives, whether it’s wildflower walks in Greenpoint or finding a great playground on the piers along the West Side Highway — there’s so much for kids this age to do.”
Nicole Lee, fitness director at Asphalt Green Upper East Side, said her favorite go-tos are games-based activities like fox and chicken, beanbag tic-tac-toe and hopscotch.
“Whatever you do, let the kids have fun — it’s all about having them move their bodies in a low-stress environment,” she said.
Get in the middle
Let’s face it — sixth, seventh and eighth grade can be a very awkward stage so, as parents, you want to gently suggest ways to stay active without having your kids shut down.
This is also the time when team sports can play an increasingly big role in your kids’ lives, but they may not find this appealing, so try not to pressure them.
“Everyone assumes kids want to be on a team, but it’s important to ask your kids what they prefer,” said Lee.
She suggested that solo exercise, whether it’s bike riding or regular walks or jogs is just fine at this age. “Even casually kicking a soccer ball around counts!”
Kelber agreed. “Your goal at this point is to get it across that exercise is just as important as practicing the piano or doing homework,” she said. “It’s ‘hey, did you move your body today?’ After all, when you move your body, it changes your attitude — not just in that moment but the next day, too.”
High points
Sometimes ninth through 12th graders may say no to working out because they’re anxious or nervous about trying something new. If this is the case, simply create opportunities to move together.
“If you simply say ‘I’m going to ride my bike — are you going to come?’ this won’t feel like pressure,” she said. “You can even keep it to a 10-minute ride around the neighborhood. Or, suggest doing 10 minutes of burpees or compete in a race up and down the steps of your apartment building. Whatever you do, always keep asking — one day your high schooler will say yes.”
“Exercise should also be combined with socializing so encourage your kids to bike ride, play pickleball or spend time outdoors with friends,” said Lee. “They may even forget all about their devices in the process.”