Kids love to dance. Turn on the stereo and there, it’s very easy to get moving. Switch the television channel to MTV and there! You can see them gyrate their bodies faster than you can even ask them to clean their rooms. As a parent, this actually works to your advantage.
The increasingly sedentary lifestyles we live today have our kids facing the computer or the boob tube for long periods of time. It’s a bad habit that must be stopped way before your adolescent becomes a couch potato and considers being glued to a screen all day “part and parcel of life.” It’s not and your growing teen needs to understand this.
Music is your ally here. Your child’s love for funky songs or hip hop dance can be an avenue for him or her to exercise through aerobic dancing for kids. Your budding teens may not know it, but every time they gyrate their bodies to Usher’s latest tunes or Justin Bieber’s newest music, they are actually doing their bodies a favor because of aerobic exercise.
Essentially meaning “with oxygen,” aerobics gets your heart and blood pumping and your muscles worked out. Virtually any form of exercise set to music is aerobic dancing and your children should get at least 20 minutes of aerobic dancing three times a week. The good thing about this form of exercise is that your children need not follow a certain number of sets or reps. It’s a natural thing that simply flows from their youthful energy and this makes them more willing to do it regularly than any other activity. Like aerobic exercises for adults aerobic dancing for kids involves three phases: 1) Warm up, 2) dance proper and 3) Cool down exercises. Teach them to start their dance sessions to something slow. The warm-up phase lasts for 10 minutes and is characterized by slow, gradual movements that loosens the muscles and prepares the body for the main work out. It’s a necessary part of an exercise program and one your children must not skip since it prevents injuries and muscle strain. An aerobic routine follows for a good 30 minutes. This is where the real action begins. Aerobic dancing is high-impact and your child must have a good pair of shoes on, one that cushions and provides adequate ankle support as well. Finally, don’t forget to remind your teen to cool down afterwards. Stretching for a good 10 minutes brings down the heart rate and restores balance to the body.
So if you’re looking for an engaging way to get your young man or woman started in fitness, encourage them to dance. It’s the easiest and most natural form of exercise for them. Tell them that they can choose their own tunes– just remind them to have a good mix of fast and slow songs for the entire routine. Get them a fun hip hop video so they know where and how to begin. Together with a balanced diet, aerobic dancing for kids will set the stage for them to have a healthy lifestyle that they can practice throughout life.