The type of physical activities that your child will participate in varies depending on each developmental stage. For instance, it may range from being active the entire day to being active only for an hour which is very common in preschool-aged kids between three to five years. But for school-aged kids and adolescents who are between six years and seventeen years might be more active the whole day. As a parent, it might look like your child is expected to participate in many activities, but this is not the case because your child might be meeting the recommended physical activity levels. And with time, you will learn some of the easy tips to apply to enable your child to meet the recommendation. Physicals in Northridge are directed by specialists who guide children in age-appropriate and enjoyable activities.
What are the recommended levels for preschool-aged children?
Preschool-aged children are children aged between three and five years. They are supposed to be physically active the entire day for proper growth and development. Your role as an adult caregiver is to encourage the child in this developmental stage to be very active when they play.
What are the recommended levels for adolescents and school-aged children?
Children in this developmental stage usually range between six years to seventeen years. Typically, they are supposed to engage in moderate to vigorous physical activities for about an hour or more. These activities include aerobic activities which strengthen their bones like jumping and running for three days a week.
Which types of physical activities need to be included every week?
These activities are:
- Aerobic activity
According to physicians, your child’s one-hour physical activity should entail aerobic activities such as running, walking, or activities that make the heart beat faster. Therefore, encourage your child to participate in aerobic activities for at least three days a week.
- Muscle-strengthening activities
Muscle-strengthening activities are like push-ups, climbing for at least three days a week as part of your children’s daily one-hour physical activities.
- Bone strengthening
Bone strengthening activities include running or jumping for three days per week.
How do you know that your kid’s aerobic activity is vigorous or moderate?
First, on a scale of zero to ten, zero is where the kid is sitting, and the highest activity level is at ten; moderate-intensity activities hence stand at five or six on this scale. Therefore when your child engages in moderate-intensity activities, they will breathe harder with their heart also beating faster than when they are sitting on the zero mark on the scale. On the other hand, vigorous activities stand on a scale between seven and eight. When your child participates in vigorous-intensity activities, they tend to breathe harder than normal and their heart beats more than normal.
What is the meaning of age-appropriate activities?
Generally, some activities are better suited for kids while others are appropriate for adolescents. For example, children can strengthen their muscles by simply jumping and running but do not require muscle-strengthening programs like weight lifting for adolescence. However, as they grow older and become adolescents, they may start taking part in structured weight lifting programs to help strengthen their muscles and bones.
If you are concerned about your child’s physicals, call or consult Kid & Teens Medical Group today for more information. The specialist will help guide your child to meet the required physical activity levels without spreading the coronavirus.
