Walking with your children becomes more pleasurable and demanding once they can stand on their own two feet. While younger children may benefit from the usage of a pram, they will be able to gain stamina for walking for extended periods of time and distances.
Walking with your children and setting a positive example of regular exercise is a fantastic approach to instill a love of physical activity in your children while making lasting memories as a family. Continue reading for tips on how to get your kids involved in family walks.
Why Should Children Go for Walks?
Television, computers, video games, and other forms of screen time encourage children to be less active than they would otherwise be. Previously, children were more active and spent more time outside.
Parents are also wary of allowing their children to walk to school, the shop or the playground due to concerns about stranger danger and a lack of safe pedestrian pathways.
Children ages 6 to 12 require 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day to be healthy. This equates to 12,000 to 15,000 steps or 5 to 6 kilometres. However, 81% of 11-17 year olds in the world are not physically active enough.
Going on family walks is a simple method to get everyone moving. Encouraging a weekly schedule of daily or frequent walks establishes healthy habits that can last a lifetime. Even short walks might help establish a habit of scheduling time for exercise.
Family Walks Ideas
Try some of these ideas for incorporating more walking time into your family activities:
Time for a Family Walk
Set aside a half-hour to an hour of family walking time three or more days a week. This will assist you in meeting the recommended amount of physical exercise per day for both you and your children. Setting a timer allows you to be more intentional about your walking habit. According to research, having a consistent schedule makes it easier to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
If you have the means, consider getting a dog that needs to be walked one or more times per day to establish a habit. Walk the dog as a family or take turns taking it for a walk. The dog will protect older children who may walk the dog alone, so lowering stranger danger.
Walking Activities
Enter walking activities such as charity walks with your child to spice up your walking. Your youngster will enjoy the thrill of receiving medals, t-shirts, and other rewards for being active without competing. Walking activities, especially if a charity is involved, can provide a structure for inspiring the entire family.
Utilise Technology
Kids enjoy having a fitness tracker that counts their steps. Make step counting a game and have them keep track, or guess how many steps it will take them from home to the playground, and so on. Fitbit and Garmin both have gadgets specifically built for children.
Maps and books can help you explore nature.
Bring flower, tree, and bird guidebooks with you and try to "bag" fresh samples on each walk. Keep a record of each new find, or consider snapping photos and creating digital notes to study later.
Give your child a map (on paper or on your phone) and show them how to read maps, identify north and south, and navigate. As you go, encourage your youngster to make a map of the trip. You can demonstrate how to use a mapping app on your phone to your child.
