Are you having trouble persuading your child to do more exercise and move about because they’re using their screens so much? If so, you’re certainly not alone, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep trying – health is so important, and making physical activity a priority is a great habit to have for life, so starting it in childhood makes a lot of sense. It can be hard, though, especially when fighting against screens, but there are things you can do that will help your children exercise more, so keep reading to find out what they are.

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Be A Role Model 

Children love to mimic their parent’s behavior, so if you can be active and do plenty of exercises, it’s more likely your children will too. If you have a more sedentary lifestyle, but you’re telling your kids they need to move around more and play sports or run around outside, why would they do what you say when they can do what you do instead? 

Not only will being more active yourself help you be a better role model for your children, but of course, it will be good for your health as well, so it can help everyone at once. Whether you go jogging, swimming, or you just go for a daily walk, if you can also involve your children and make exercise something you do together, they’ll be even more encouraged to give it a go and continue to do it even when they’re older. 

Make Exercise Fun

Kids are far more likely to participate in activities they enjoy, so instead of making exercise into a chore and talking about it like something that has to be done, turn it into something fun instead, and you’ll probably find you won’t have to do as much persuading. 

You can start simply by having some toys and sports equipment at home so you and your kids can play at any time. Look at the best portable volleyball nets, for example, or some basketball hoops, or even just a simple ball to throw or kick around can be great. Then you can think about organizing family days out where physical activity is a priority (a trip to the park can turn into a great day of exercising, for example) and where you can include plenty of games like hide and seek, tag, or relay races to keep everyone engaged and active. 

Limit Screen Time

If you want your children to exercise more, but you find that they’re spending a lot of time online (and it’s not for homework or school reasons) or watching TV, the best thing to do is to put a limit on their screen time. This is a great thing to do for everyone’s mental health anyway, but if you give them a certain amount of time they can use the screens before they have to put them away and do something else, you should find they do more exercise – it’s something they can do to pass the time.

Although it would be best for them to enjoy their activities, that’s something that can happen with time, and it’s getting started that is the real challenge. Limit their screen time, and exercise might suddenly seem a lot more appealing.