Keep Kids Moving
With summer ending and school beginning soon, now is the perfect time to take advantage of the sunny summer weather and have playtime outside with your kids. Elizabeth McGregor, MD, a pediatrician at Baptist Health Paducah, offers these tips to increase activity levels:
- Set a schedule. If exercise is a dirty word around your house, it’ll take a little finessing to change it. “Start by scheduling fun fitness time into the day for the entire family,” Dr. McGregor said. “If it is on your calendar, you’re more likely to follow through with it.”
- Mix it up. An hour on the treadmill may work for Mom and Dad, but kids need fun and variety. “When it’s a family affair, it should be play-centric,” Dr. McGregor recommended. “Incorporate active games and sports – soccer, tag, racing – into your time together, and limit screen time, including TV and video games, to less than two hours daily.”
- Start them young. Teach your kids a love for exercise beginning at a young age. Some elementary schools in the area offer Project Fit America, a fun fitness program sponsored by Baptist Health Paducah, which can help your youngsters embrace working out before it becomes work.
