5 Exercises To Keep Kids Active In Winter

Last Updated on May 12, 2020

This guest post was written by Cassie Brewer, a health professional in Southern California. She also designed the infographic featured below. In her free time, she enjoys writing about her passions including healthy living and beauty. Nothing makes her happier than helping others become the best version of themselves. You can read more at her website and follow her on Twitter.

The process of getting our kids away from gadgets to go outside is challenging enough on a warm day, but during winter time it gets even trickier. It is much easier to keep them quiet indoors with a video game in their hands, but as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends, our kids need one solid hour of exercise every single day. In addition to heart-pumping cardio exercises, this should include muscle and bone-strengthening activities at least three days a week.

It feels like a lot of time, but an hour can go by very quickly, especially if everyone is having fun. Moreover, you don’t need a huge indoor space to get them moving. You just need a little imagination to find some indoor activities and games that the kids will love.

Some of the easiest and most creative exercises to perform indoors don’t take up much space or create a lot of clutter. Jumping rope provides so many wonderful health benefits including strengthening muscles and bones, improving balance, increasing heart rate, reducing stress, and boosting our mood. Push-ups are another important exercise that helps to improve muscle strength. There is also the core strengthening hula hoop, which is fun to do with some music in the background. Balloon ball is also a really enjoyable game; you challenge everyone to keep the ball from hitting the ground. Finally, yoga entails movement, stretching, and relaxation.

When you want to get all the kids together or indulge their competitive side, try organizing games like a scavenger hunt or sock skating. These scavenger hunts are a great indoor activity for the kids, and a great idea to your readers during the lockdown. You can also try an indoor snowball fight using socks, play hide-and-seek, or get moving with some indoor hopscotch. You can even get them to create their own obstacle course for a boot camp type of activity.

There are so many opportunities to encourage your children to get moving indoors. Exercising inside gives the whole family an opportunity to connect and laugh together. Don’t let the cold, dreary weather keep your family from having a blast and burning a few calories. For more exciting indoor fitness activities and games, check out the infographic below.

What are your kid’s favorite indoor fitness activities?