Andy Galpin - Strategies For Raising Physically Active Kids | Dr. Andy Galpin
To encourage children to be more physically active, parents should first model active behavior themselves. Children often mimic the actions of their parents and community, so if parents are active, children are more likely to follow suit. Secondly, placing children in environments where others are active can also encourage them to move more. This includes being around peers and adults who engage in physical activities rather than sedentary behaviors like watching TV or using phones.
Additionally, exposing children to various physical environments and activities can help find what resonates with them. This could mean playing in different settings like forests, pools, or playgrounds, or trying different sports and movement modes such as swimming, biking, or skateboarding. It's important to experiment with different implements and partners, as children might feel more comfortable playing with adults or alone rather than with peers who are more skilled. Finally, focusing on task-oriented goals rather than competitive sports can motivate children who are not interested in traditional sports, by engaging them in activities that have a clear start and end, and offer intrinsic rewards.
Key Points:
- Model active behavior for children to mimic.
- Expose children to active environments and peers.
- Try diverse physical activities and environments.
- Use task-oriented goals instead of competitive sports.
- Experiment with different play partners and implements.
Details:
1. 🤔 Balancing Encouragement and Pressure
1.1. Positive Reinforcement Strategies
1.2. Monitoring and Adjusting Strategies
2. 🏃♂️ Be a Role Model
- Being more active yourself encourages your child to be active, as children often model the behavior of their parents.
3. 🏞️ Environment Matters
- Increase exposure to environments where both children and adults are physically active to promote similar behaviors.
- Encourage participation in peer groups of more active kids to foster an active lifestyle.
- Balance interactions with less active peers who prefer video games by also engaging in active environments.
- Modeling behavior from active environments can lead to increased physical activity among both children and adults.
- Implement community programs that create and maintain accessible active environments, such as parks and sports facilities.
- Use case studies or data showing the impact of active environments on physical activity levels to support these strategies.
4. 🌲 Exploring Different Physical Spaces
- Introducing children to a variety of physical environments can enhance their play experience and engagement.
- Examples include playing on the ground, in the snow, in water, in forests, on playgrounds, in gyms, and on sports courts.
- Children may dislike certain environments like sports courts but enjoy others such as forests or pools.
- Changing the physical environment can help discover activities that resonate with children beyond traditional sports or family-preferred activities.
5. 🏄♂️ Discovering Varied Movement Modes
- Encourage trying different sports like swimming, skating, or cycling if traditional sports like soccer or basketball are not appealing.
- Experiment with various environments and implements, such as different types of rackets, bats, and balls, to find enjoyable physical activities.
- Consider activities like dance, martial arts, or yoga to enhance physical fitness and mental well-being.
- Exploring diverse movement modes can lead to improved health outcomes and personal satisfaction.
- Trying new sports and environments can increase overall engagement and retention in physical activities.
6. 👫 Choosing the Right Play Partners
- Children who are behind their peers may withdraw if they are always around peers who are more advanced, suggesting a need for varied play partners.
- Playing directly with parents or adults can be beneficial as it reduces the pressure children feel to compare themselves negatively to peers.
- Children are more comfortable trying new activities with adults, as they expect adults to be more skilled, eliminating negative self-comparisons.
- Avoid having children play with siblings or peers if it creates a negative dynamic or feelings of inadequacy.
- Encourage solo play to allow children to practice without the pressure of comparison to others.
7. 🎯 Task Versus Sport Goals
- Task-based activities can engage children who may not be interested in traditional sports by focusing on completion and intrinsic rewards rather than competition.
- Examples include building forts or moving rocks, emphasizing the process and outcome rather than winning or scoring points.
- The approach shifts focus from sports as competition to tasks with tangible results, encouraging participation through personal satisfaction and achievement.
- This method can help children appreciate the value of achieving a goal without the pressure of traditional sports metrics like scores or wins.