TESTING TIMES

Reasons to include a workout
in your child’s routine
By Puja Gupta
New Delhi: A workout doesn’t
mean spending hours in a gym or
sweating on a treadmill. The foundation
of working out should be laid
at a young age. Delhi-based fitness
and sports nutritionist Hasti Singh
shares top five reasons to include
workout in a child’s daily routine.
Stronger muscles and bones
Fit and lean posture
Lower risk of becoming obese
Lower chance of attracting diseases
Controlled B.P and cholesterol.
Singh says, to start with, parents
can ask their child to do yoga or
meditation for at least 1 hour daily.
The trick is that parents should also
do with them as then they will try to
imitate and will enjoy doing the exercise.
Kids can also do aerobics as it
strengthens the heart and helps in
circulating oxygen to the cells. Aerobics
can be done at home and parents
can also participate in these exercises
like playing basketball, swimming,
jogging, running, cycling.
Singh points out: “When I say
workout, don’t confuse it with weightlifting.
Kids could do push-ups,
crunches with stomachs, stretching,
and other exercises to give a shape
to their physique and gain strength.
These exercises don’t include much
hard work and are also good from
the kids’ perspective. By doing pushups,
the child would learn to tackle
weight and it will improve his shoulder
and arm connection.”
Rope Skipping is another good
workout activity that you can introduce
to your child. Skipping
strengthens hand and leg muscles.
Kids can also join any dance classes
which is an ultimate form of exercise.
It helps in the complete movement
of a kid’s body and hence gives
a complete opportunity to work out.
Exercise not only improves a
child’s abilities but will also help
him/her to gain concentration. Kids
nowadays spend a lot of time taking
online classes and hence expose
themselves to uncalled problems like
strain, headache, and health issues.
Taking out time and doing workouts
daily can save your child from
these issues. Also, a regular workout
helps in better sleep and makes your
child energetic.
50 July 2021
Opinion Express