Movement During Quarantine Part 9: Rewards & Scheduling

When thinking about youth fitness, it's important to first consider motivation. Adults are, often with great difficulty, motivated by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors when working towards their chosen health-related fitness goals. Adults are thinking of their current and future health, their body composition, the money they spend on the gym, all motivational factors for exercise. Children do not share these same motivations. Children are motivated mostly by fun, but also by rewards. If you get really good at creating positive movement experiences with your child, these activities can be used as the motivation in and of themselves. If not, a few extra minutes of iPad or TV time can help get some kids through non-preferred movement activities.

Scheduling

With everyone's life turned upside down, you may find it impossible to schedule a full day of school and non-school related activities for your child. How could you possibly be expected to?! However, if a home schedule is made daily or weekly, be sure to put movement activities at several points throughout the day, ideally before longer bouts of academic work or stationary activities.

45 Minute Movement Activities Sample Schedule

- Sing “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” (mix-up with tempo, sing fast and slow)

- Play Simon Says

- Imitate animal movements

- 3 jumping skills (low, high, tuck jump, forward, backward, side-to-side)

- Run a relay race

- Build an obstacle course

- 3 strength building activities (squat, lunge, wall push up)

- 3 balance activities (painter’s tape on floor “balance beam,” tree pose, balance challenge – how long can you hold on one foot, the other?)

- Play Follow the Leader (let kids have turn to lead)

- Sing “The Hokey Pokey”