Joy in Movement: Three Easy Ways to Raise Active Kids

Introducing kids to an active lifestyle at an early age will ingrain healthy habits that will last a lifetime. If team sports are your thing, go for it, however there are
creative ways to stay active that don’t require an organized sport. There is no need to enroll them in exercise classes, either. Kids naturally love to move their bodies,
and this is all it takes to spark a love of physical activity.

Here are three easy ideas for incorporating more activity into your child’s day:

1. Dance in your living room.
This is one of the easiest things you can do, regardless of your fitness level. Put on some music, invite your kids to join, and just dance around the living room.
Twirl, jump, sway. Anything goes! 
Tip – goofy moves get lots of laughs.

2. Visit new places on the weekend where you can walk and sight-see. 
While it is nice to go for a hike in the woods or a stroll on the beach, there’s no requirement that you have to travel far from home. Visiting a local neighborhood you rarely frequent is a fun way to window shop and log those footsteps. It only takes about 20 minutes of strolling to reach a mile, and that time will surely pass by quickly when you are looking at interesting new things.

3. Walk the dog together or take an after-dinner walk every evening.
Walking the dog is another easy way to get steps in without it feeling like exercise. When you do this as a family, you can pass the time by having good conversations. 
The dog is happy, and so are you.

No dog in your family? No problem.

Start a nightly ritual of an after-dinner walk for the same results. You do not need to pay for classes or join sport teams to teach your kids that it feels good to move their bodies.
You can teach them the joy of movement simply by incorporating small, fun changes into your day.