Exercise can help mitigate Covid fatigue stress by boosting your body's endorphins which produces an increase in your overall sense of well being. Movement can also help you sleep better, reduce your stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol levels and can help improve your metabolism. With the cold weather setting in, which means more time indoors and less outside play, it doesn’t have to mean a lack of exercise! So the big question, how do you keep your kids active?
Here are 4 sneaky ways to incorporate healthy movement into your day. (These tips work well for grown-ups too 🙌 )
1. Earn Screen Time By incorporating Movement. Whether it is the phone, tv, computer or gaming system trade time for exercise.
🔵 Video Games - do sit-ups, push ups or jumping jacks every time your character dies or a round ends. Increased blood flow and oxygen to the body and brain could even make them sharper for the next round of play. There are also sport and dance video games that get you up and moving instead of sitting on the couch.
🔵 Phone Time - Set a time limit spent on the phone and social media with the ability of earning “extra time” by completing an exercise activity. For example, your phone time limit for the day is one hour. But for every 15 minute block of exercise, they can earn 15 extra minutes of phone time. (Extra tip for good sleep hygiene: create a family rule of no devices 1 hour before bedtime) Here's a 15 minute workout you can do together.
2. Have A Random Dance Party! Pick a lively song and have it play at a random time during the day. When the song comes on, everyone stops and joins in the dance party! Pump up the volume and get your wiggles out! Since songs are only a few minutes long it is a quick and fun way to get your body moving.
3. Institute a Goodie Tax. Snacking has increased because food is comforting - we all know about stress eating. Earn the treat by burning calories first! For example, 20 jumping jacks for a cookie 10 squats for chips or walk up and down a flight of stairs a few times for jello.
4. Be creative with your space and create an obstacle course! Check out this cool string/streamer laser maze.
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