Bonitas Member Magazine B-Living Issue 1, 2019 | Page 12

Get your child moving
Exercise for children can be fun. Your child can
start with a few minutes of warm-up exercises like
jumping jacks or jogging on the spot to get their
muscles moving and heart pumping faster. Some
of these exercises can be done in 5 to 10 minutes
or your child can repeat the sequence for a longer
session.
head with elbows out. They raise their upper body up
using their tummy muscles and then after a moment,
lay back down again. With push-ups, they get into the
push-up position and bend elbows lowering their chest
towards the ground. They then push back up. These
exercises strengthen their upper bodies and core muscles
in the abs and back.
Side leg raises
Running
Running is a simple exercise, perfect for outdoors or
in a gym. It can be combined with other actions to
create games like relay races. Make your child change
the movement sequence by switching from running to
skipping, lifting alternate knees to the chest or kicking
heels to their bum.
Let your child lie on one side with their feet and hips
stacked, propping themselves up on their forearm. They
must align their shoulder over their elbow. Your child
then lifts their top leg straight up, keeping the foot
parallel with the ground and toes flexed. They pause at
the top and then lower the leg back down again.
Shoulder blasts
Jumping
Jumping builds muscle strength, cardiovascular fitness
and endurance. Children can try jumping jacks, hurdle
hops, single-leg hops and criss-cross jumps.
• Jumping jacks – Arms and legs are stretched out to the
side like a starfish while jumping, the arms are returned
to the sides of the legs on landing. Repeat the action.
• Hurdle hops – Jumping with feet together from side to
side or front to back over a pretend hurdle.
• Single-leg hops – One knee is lifted while hopping
around on the other leg. Alternate legs.
• Criss-cross jumps – Jump straight up, then cross one
foot in front of the other. On the next jump, they
switch feet.
Crunches and push-ups
Your child can do crunches by lying down on his or her
back on the floor and placing their hands behind their
Page 11
Your child holds their arms straight out to the sides.
They make arm circles forward starting with small circles,
gradually making larger circles. Your child then reverses
direction and make large circles backwards, gradually
making to smaller circles.
End off stretching
Once your child is done exercising, they can do simple
stretches to keep their muscles strong and healthy. A
stretching sequence can help move your child into a
more relaxed state after their workout and help prevent
injuries.
NB
Remember, before your child tries any of these
exercises, they shouldn’t have any health
conditions that stop them from physical
activity. Also check your child has plenty of
space to move and is wearing the right clothes
and shoes.