As per estimated reports, 50% of the U.S. adult population will be obese by 2030. Obesity is growing like an epidemic in the country, with more than 13.7 million children and teenagers being obese.
This problem is attributed to sedentary lifestyles, with children being on their laptops, mobiles or watching T.V for almost upto 7 hours every day. At the same time, most of them eat a lot of unhealthy junk food which makes matters worse.
Here are some enjoyable physical activities your child can do to prevent or tackle obesity:
1) Swimming
While it can help an individual lose weight really fast, it is also a life skill which people should learn. Swimming is a great workout because it keeps the heart healthy, builds stamina, and tones the muscles. It also helps to lower blood pressure as well as the levels of stress and tension in the mind and body. This skill is particularly useful for children because it gives them a well-needed, healthy break from academics. Children should be comfortable and safe in the water. After all, most of the world’s surface is covered with water.
The amount of calories one may burn from swimming varies from person to person, depending on their weight. For instance, a person who weighs 200 pounds will burn more than 900 calories if he/she swims quickly for the duration of an hour.
2) Family Games
Don’t just send your child out for a run when it’s pretty clear that he/she doesn’t want to. Make your child understand the benefits of exercise and make it fun for him/her. Of course, you can ask them to accompany you when you go out for a jog to encourage them to keep going!
Apart from the obvious, make family games a family activity. When they have better alternatives available to video games, they will slowly shift to a healthier lifestyle.
Play catch with your children or enjoy a game of competitive tennis with them. Remember, short bursts of activity will help them to lose weight faster, so don’t go slow when you play. Sweat it out with them!
Exercise and play every day with them. It takes a couple of months of a routine for it to become habit. Make sure that the entire family follows an exercise routine together so that the children learn good habits and do not feel left out.
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