Cardio For Kids: Why It’s So Important

Teaching your kids to be active at a young age is more important than ever. Is cardio for kids right for your family?

There are a lot of reasons to lead a healthy lifestyle as a parent.

Obviously, you have your own goals of improving your fitness and building strength.

On top of those goals, being a fit parent means that you can lead a long and healthy life with your family, and set an example for your children to follow.

The obesity rates among children and teens have skyrocketed over recent years.

It is estimated that about one-third of children and teens in the US are obese or overweight.

Another astounding statistic is that over the past 30 years, the prevalence of obesity has nearly tripled for children 2 to 5 years of age and 12 to 19 years of age, and it has quadrupled for children 6 to 11 years old.

This rise in obesity is due to a combination of poor dietary habits and decreased physical activity in children.

According to The Physical Activity Guidelines For Americans, the recommended level of activity for children based on age are:

Ages 3 through 5 years

• Preschool-aged children should be physically active throughout the day for growth and development.
• Adult caregivers should encourage preschool-aged children to be active when they play.

Ages 6 through 17 years

• Children and adolescents should do 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity each day, including daily aerobic – and activities that strengthen bones (like running or jumping) – 3 days each week, and that build muscles (like climbing or doing push-ups) – 3 days each week.

Sadly, The National Survey of Children’s Health has found that only about ¼ of kids are actually achieving this level of activity.

Keep reading to find out what you can do about it for your family and how to get started with cardio for kids.

Looking for ways to get the whole family active? Try these exercises for kids!

Why Cardio Is Important For Kids

The benefits of aerobic exercise in children are numerous.

Studies have found that beginning cardio activities at a young age has a significant influence on decreasing the risk of chronic diseases later on in life. 

For example, a study from Hypertension Research examined the association between current physical activity versus physical activity as a child and its impact on the development of high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes in adulthood.

Not surprisingly, the researchers found that being overweight or obese was associated with lower levels of physical activity.

The biggest finding, however, was that physical activity during childhood, but not current physical activity, was associated with a lower prevalence of hypertension and diabetes.

Not only do cardio activities decrease the risk of chronic health issues, but aerobic exercise strengthens muscles and connective tissue, builds bone strength, and improves balance and coordination.

This makes starting exercise and physical activity at a young age crucial.

Getting your kids to be involved in physical activity at an early age will help them create healthy habits that they will carry on into their adult lives as well.

How To Get Kids Active

With all the new technology out there today, it can be tough to get your kids to put down their phones and video games and get active.

By choosing activities that your children enjoy, and joining in alongside them, you can make exercise something that they actually look forward to doing.

Going outside and simply “playing” is a wonderful way to stay active.

However, having your kids get involved in more organized sports and activities will encourage them even more to exercise.

When choosing ways to keep your kids active, it is best to have a mix of unstructured play and more structured sports and activities. 

The key to getting your kids to stay engaged is to choose activities that they enjoy and match their interests.

If your kid loves basketball but hates soccer, it makes no sense to force them to join a soccer team for the sake of being active.

This will only discourage them from wanting to be involved.

Careful consideration should be given so that you are motivating your children to be healthy, not treating exercise as a punishment. 

Should Kids Avoid Certain Cardio?

As with exercise at any age, there is always the risk of injury.

Your kids are still growing and developing, so you want to be sure to choose activities that won’t have negative effects on growth and maturation, both physically and mentally.

Just as you wouldn’t go from running zero miles to signing up for a marathon, the same is true with your kids.

Start out with easy aerobic activities that they can sustain for 10-20 minutes at a time.

There is no need to push them beyond their abilities until they have built up a good foundation of physical fitness.

The big takeaway is to not be too demanding when it comes to introducing your kids to cardio activities.

For instance, if you sign your kids up for sports that exceed their cognitive and physical development, they may develop feelings of failure.

Pushing your kids to do intense levels of cardio before they are ready is more likely to cause frustration and will push them away from exercise.

Cardio For Kids

There are tons of great cardio activities out there for kids of all ages.

And the great thing about these activities is that you can join in on the fun as well.

Talk to your kids about their interests and what types of sports and athletics they actually want to do so that they will be motivated to stay active.

Running

Walking and running are the two simplest forms of exercise for your children to do.

Kids love to run around the backyard, chasing one another, or playing tag.

This is a great free playtime activity.

If your kids show interest as they get older in being more competitive you can sign up for a 5K with them and race together.

This can give your whole family a goal to maintain your fitness together.

Hiking

While running and walking are great cardio, hiking can be more appealing while also providing a serious aerobic workout. 

Not only is hiking great for overall health, but it is also such an engaging activity that your kids won’t even think of it as a workout. 

Choosing technical or hilly trails will build more aerobic fitness than flat trails, while also building serious leg strength.

Biking

Biking can take on many forms, from a leisurely ride down the road to intense mountain bike rides on trails. 

Teaching your kids to ride a bike at a young age helps them develop coordination and balance.

Once they master the basics of riding, you can then take them out to more technical trails or longer bike rides

Biking will build cardiovascular endurance along with developing excellent core and lower body strength.

This is great for both you and your kids. 

Balance and stability are also big parts of biking, especially on more technical mountain bike trails.

This means biking is a great way to build on core strength, balance, and coordination.

Kayaking

Rowing a boat is an amazing aerobic workout that the whole family can enjoy as you explore nature.

Plus, this is a great experience for your kids to get out into nature and explore new areas as a family.

Rollerblading

Rollerblading is another unique activity that is excellent for enhancing cardiovascular fitness while also building better coordination and balance. 

Dancing

If your kids are tired of the same old cardio (biking, running, walking), dance classes are an awesome way to improve aerobic fitness.

Plus, learning new dance moves will keep their minds engaged so it feels more like a fun activity than actual exercise. 

Swimming

Water activities are a great way for your kids to burn off energy and build their cardiovascular fitness.

In addition, teaching your kids to swim at a young age is important from a safety aspect as well.

Knowing basic swim skills is essential for all ages. 

If your kids are strong swimmers you can even challenge each other to some fun races at a pool or in the open water.

Swimming doesn’t have to mean just doing laps either.

You can turn just about any sport into a water activity.

Pool volleyball, throwing around a football, or even some early morning water aerobics are ways to stay active and cool off, at the same time.

Organized Sports

There are clear benefits of cardio activity at all ages.

This is true not only for adults but also for children and teens.

Plus, there are clear health advantages of beginning exercise early in life. 

Start Your Kids on The Path To Cardio Fitness

Organized sports, either through school or a community organization, not only will encourage physical activity in your kids but will also teach teamwork and improve their social skills.

The biggest issue that many parents have is how to get their kids to not only start exercising but also to continue adherence to being active.

Introducing your youngsters to fun endeavors that they actually enjoy goes a long way to achieving this goal.

Joining in on these cardio activities with your kids will also encourage them to want to be active. 

So put down the phones, head outside, and get moving with these awesome cardio activities that the kids, and the whole family, can enjoy!

*Please know that weight loss results and health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info on cardio for kids.