Health experts say we should get 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day. If this is difficult for you to do, then aim for 10 minutes of activity a couple of times per day. Break it up by doing "little chunks" of physical activity each day. Getting fresh air and playing outside is best for children when possible! Some days you may only get in 20-30 minutes of physical activity rather than 60 minutes, and that's okay. Take breaks when studying. Get up and MOVE! That's the key!
Here are my suggestions for staying active:
Do chores for your family: Fold clothes and make a game of it. Count how many items of clothing you folded and then do that number of jumping jacks or some other exercise.
Go up and down your stairs a couple of times per day
Dust the furniture or vacuum the floors/carpet
Make your bed every morning for Mom
Clean up your bedroom
Pick up toys and tidy up your play area
Help with the dishes, set the table, clear off the table after meals
Help prepare some meals with Mom
After you do some chores, then do a certain number of sit ups, squats, jumping jacks, squat thrusts, etc. This will help get your physical activity minutes in per day
Rake leaves around your house, in the bushes or around the fence
Help your family dig the garden and plant the plants this spring
Play basketball at your hoop alone or with your family. Try to shoot the ball with your dominant hand (remember the hand-in-the-cookie jar, wrist flick move) and use your other hand to guide the ball
Toss the ball onto your roof and catch it after it rolls down and bounces once on the driveway. Next time, try to catch your ball before it bounces. Ask parents for permission and don't hit any windows!
Use chalk and make a 4-square or a 2-square court on your driveway. Use a playground ball or basketball and play with your family
Use chalk and make a hop scotch diagram and hop and jump like you do at recess. Or make a crazy long course; You be the grand designer!
Just dance to your favorite tunes. Do different exercise moves or locomotor agilities to the song. Dance inside or outside your house. Make up a dance routine and teach it to your siblings
If you have roller skates or scooters, play safely on your driveway-ask Mom!
Play toss and catch with your family outside in the yard with a whiffleball, tennis ball, playground ball, football, sock ball or homemade ball. Start close with underhand tosses, then back up from each other if you are doing good catches and throws. Eventually, throw overhand to your partner. Don't hit any windows!
Tap a balloon in the house to keep it up in the air. Use different body parts to keep it up. Tap the balloon back and forth with a family member, trying not to let it hit the ground
Have running races with your family in your back yard. On your mark, get set, go!
Play on your swing set/slide down your slide. Weeeee!
Do hurdle jumping: Set up some small boxes in your yard and carefully leap over them. Run, run, run, leap!
If you have a bike, ride it in your driveway. Ask Mom if it's okay!
Take a family walk on your street if possible. If you have a fit bit, track your steps and check your heart rate. How far did you all walk?
Try this! As you go down your street, do a fast walk as you pass 2 houses, then jog for the next 2 houses, and keep on repeating this for 10 minutes or however long you want. Try it!
Set up any type of goals in your yard and play soccer with your family
Hit a beach ball up to yourself or play with a family member; Try to bump it back and forth to each other
Get a broom and sweep out the garage, the drive, deck or patio
Help Mom or Dad clean out the car, vacuum the interior, clean the windows, and wash the outside if you are old enough
Jump rope outside: Try to do jump rope tricks from gym class. See how many times you can jump without missing. Can you play some music and see how long you can jump to the beat? Are you able to jump rope to one of your favorite tunes for the entire song? It takes a lot of stamina to jump a whole song!!
See how many laps you can run around the perimeter of your back yard in 1 minute and have a family member time you. Then, you time your family member. Record the number of laps you went and next time try to beat your score
Throw a frisbee (thumb on top with fingers curled underneath rim) across the yard, do target practice and try to knock down stacked boxes, can(s) or a bucket, or land the frisbee inside those items. Throw and catch the frisbee with your family