Summer Camp Fun and Fitness
Now is the time to sign up for summer camp for our children of the future. The world is bringing out in the open the importance of getting children to exercise and diet to reduce the epidemic of out young obese.
The most important aspect to gaining compliance and respect for exercise is to make it fun and avoid it feeling like a chore. Summer camp is an excellent way to invite togetherness along with healthy exercise habits. Children can learn skills to champion archery, tennis, swimming, kayaking, and boating. Also, there are ball games, hiking, rock climbing, and martial arts. The list is endless, from adventures to Yoga.
This format of summer camp obtains early intervention for kids to adapt positive behaviors towards sports and exercise. If a child shows a liking to a particular activity(ies), then why not continue it beyond summer camp as in the form of lessons, joining a team, or making a family fun affair.
There are camps for specific sports or activities. There are even weight loss camps that keep kids so busy with fun-filled activities, they cannot help but lose weight. They learn about fitness and how to begin an exercise or new sport. This develops good habits and healthy attitudes towards fitness.
Summer camps get children off their seats and on their feet. Today’s children do not get enough exercise. Game Boys, Play Stations, and TV have got a strong hold. Camps give children the opportunity to be more active be outside, engaging with other children, and making memories.
Not only does camp have physical benefits, but also builds teamwork. It also builds a positive body image by teaching the benefits they will gain from exercise and nutrition.
Camp also focuses on the non-traditional sporting activities such as Frisbee toss, hip-hop dance, and other like Tae Kwon Do. The emphasis is on variety also including breathing, stretching, and hydration.
Below is a list of suggestions to help make an activity a part of a child’s daily lifestyle.
- As a parent or caregiver set an example by engaging in fitness activities yourself. Some of these include bicycle riding, jumping rope, swimming, walking (instead of driving).
- Play with your child in games that keep them moving.
- Encourage the idea that exercise is fun.
- Let your child exercise at their own pace.
- Start a neighborhood team or sign up for local recreation activities.
- Be creative and let kids help you develop new games.
Depending on the activity, you can work specific muscle groups, such as kicking a ball or running to use the thigh and lower leg muscles. Throwing, gripping, and lifting build upper body strength. Postural muscles are worked with balance type activities as in martial arts, teeter-totters, and hopscotch. These muscle areas are important to strengthen to carry a backpack for any length of time. Skill building exercises incorporate to the whole body evident in basketball, rope climbing and Tai Chi. Aerobic exercises are vital to an overall program or daily routing such as swimming, bike riding, running, rowing or fast walking.
Summer camp has so many pluses beyond the exercise benefits. For one, the camaraderie carried amongst the other children builds strong friendships for life. The kids connect on all levels whether it is through sporting, or learning about healthy lifestyles even unbeknown to them.
Remember, don’t hesitate, participate