Kids and Calories: Exercise Ideas That Feel Like Rewards!

The world is a different place from when we were kids. With no gadgets and technology to keep us busy, it was up to us to find our own fun, which often involved going outside and playing. This would keep us fit and active without even thinking about it. Getting kids away from their screens and moving around these days is a lot harder, the key is to make exercise fun. Here are some ideas for going about it!

Horse riding

Horse riding is a great hobby for kids, it teaches them patience and respect for the animal- and burns a surprising amount of calories! There’s more to it than just sitting in the saddle and letting the horse do the work, the movements give your cardiovascular health a boost while toning muscles throughout the body. See if there are any local horse riding classes you could book for your children, an equi supermarket online would enable you to buy all of the gear you need to attend in one place. It’s something a little different from your regular solo or team sport and lots of children really enjoy it. 

Martial arts

Martial arts teaches discipline, something that benefits children throughout the rest of their lives too. It’s a great way to burn lots of energy in a short space of time. As a bonus it teaches self defense (which hopefully they’ll never need, but is reassuring to know they have). Kicks, punches, spins and different techniques move all areas of the body. This provides a full body workout, and a chance to meet and socialise with other children. 

Trampolining

Trampolining is one of those really fun activities, time flies for them where they’re enjoying themselves so much. You could book them some proper trampolining lessons where they’ll learn all kinds of flips and techniques, or you could just book them to spend time at the trampoline park at the weekends where they can bounce freestyle. It gives the heart and lungs a thorough workout and is great for the legs and the core, without it feeling like exercise at all. 

Ice skating

Do you have a local ice skating rink nearby? Head on down and make a fun family occasion of it. It’s tricky at first but kids will quickly get the hang of it. Once they’re gliding on the ice it will burn off a good number of calories. It’s something you can all get involved in and build family memories together. Ice rinks often have things like kids ice discos and events for teenagers. These are a chance to socialise while getting out on the ice and having fun. Ice skating is the sort of thing that kids will consider a real treat. You could even let them go as a reward if they behave well all week! They won’t realise that it’s a workout too. 

Swimming

Swimming doesn’t have to involve swimming lots of boring lengths for it to be good exercise. Taking them to the pool and letting them have a swim and a splash around can provide them with an excellent workout while being genuinely enjoyable. Lots of swimming pools have things like giant floats and things for kids to do in the pool at the weekends to make it extra fun, have a look on the website of your local pool and see what’s on offer.

Bike riding

Bike riding is another activity that the whole family can get involved in. Dust off your bikes from the shed and go to the local park or bike trail together and enjoy the fresh air and physical activity. Pack up a healthy picnic and some drinks and you can make a day of it. It will workout your bodies and make treasured family memories. Hiking is another option. You can print off worksheets from sites like Pinterest to turn it into a nature trail – getting kids to tick off items they see, collect things like feathers and interesting rocks and draw interesting items in nature. 

How do you ensure your kids are getting enough exercise?