Keeping Kids Fit During Homeschooling

By Sara Tipton

Keeping kids fit and moving while homeschooling can be tough, especially as winter descends upon us.  It won’t be long before we’ve got snow on the ground and the kids will be bored with their schoolwork.

But kids need exercise just as much, if not more so than adults do. Keeping their bodies in good shape will help keep their immune system strong, help them sleep better, and prevent boredom. Kids like to have a schedule and some semblance of order.  A chaotic homeschool schedule will only be distracting and counterproductive.  So schedule a time for “PE, physical education” at home.  Break it into two segments if you’d like.  Just make sure it’s at the same time every day and the kids know when they are going to get a chance to move a little.

If you know another family that homeschools, connect with them, and meet at a park or go on a hike together. This will also allow the kids to socialize with each other and give the parents a small break from teaching.

If you need help figuring out what kind of activities they can do, consider what you have already done to keep your kids active during the summer. This could be helpful for the kids at home. If you need some ideas for winter, please read the following article:

If you want to go to a school track or park, make sure you are not interfering with public school events. Also, make sure that you have the kids do a warm-up followed by stretches. Try calisthenics, such as push-ups, sit-ups, and squats.  Have them do more each day to improve their strength.

Do your favorite outdoor activity. This could be hiking in your favorite spot, swimming, going to the lake, playing your favorite sport.

If you stay indoors, such as when temperatures dip into the negatives, do your favorite workouts, watch a yoga video on YouTube and follow along, or find a different fun workout to do.

In addition to keeping the kids moving, you should also make sure they build other basic fundamental healthy habits. A few tips from an athlete:

1. Have a balanced diet – give your kids a lot of vegetables.  Let them help choose what you plant in the garden. They are often very willing to try what they have helped grow.
2. Drink lots of water – get them their own water bottles and make it their responsibility to drink from them and keep them full.
3. Avoid sugary foods – sugar is one of the most destructive substances to the human body, and is not required in the human diet. You’ve heard of essential fatty acids, and essential amino acids, but there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate. It isn’t just sugar you should be concerned with either.  Keep your eye on the glycemic index of foods. This is a gauge of how high your blood sugar will spike after eating a particular food, which could impact your child’s cognitive function.  Some fruits (such as those packaged in high fructose corn syrup) may need to be avoided in your child is having problems paying attention.
4. Get on a sleep schedule -make sure the kids go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time to keep their bodies on the same schedule.
5. Commit to being fit – Set up a schedule and stick to it!

With so many parents making the decision to homeschool for the first time this year any tips can help! If you are a seasoned homeschooler, share some of your tips with our readers!

This article was originally published at Ready Nutrition™ on September 1st, 2020

Image: Pixabay

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