Lack of Space is No Excuse for not getting enough Exercise
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Kiddikicks Education
Here's some fun and inexpensive ideas for exercising children indoors without expensive kit and caboodle.
If this had been a question on TV show Family Fortunes, we reckon our first idea would have been the most popular; Skipping! The benefits of repeatedly hopping over and over an ol' piece of rope are manifold. We could probably write a book about it but in a nutshell, it's anaerobic and aerobic which means it's good for stamina, muscle strength and bone density and it's also good for the heart and lungs - a perfect all over body AND mind exercise activity. The act of skipping requires cross lateral ambi-dexterity which basically means to coordinate the movement for any significant length of time you'll be using both sides of the brain and the body. Way cool. Top tip coming up - it is important to get the right length of rope. Best way to measure is to stand on the rope roughly in the middle and pull up the two ends towards the sky. The ends for a beginner should come up no higher than the skipper's shoulder and no lower than their waist. Personal preferances aside this is a good guide.
We believe the personal trainers of NYC coined this phrase which we will use to introduce our next idea - the Cellblock Work Out. The term aptly describes the routines invented for dwellers of tiny New York apartments. So given that space is at a premium and a child's body is still developing we'd recommend steering clear of exercises which require perfect technique like crunches and press ups. Go for exercises which use the child's own body weight and are fun by name or nature; Burpees, Surrender Squats and Explosion Jumps are all easy to interweave into an imaginative role-play game of war and police!
I know a school-mum who promises me the best gift her 5 year old ever received on Christmas Day was a massive balloon in a massive cardboard box! This little girl has asked for the same gift for 3 years running and she's now 7. Balloon-Ball is a fitness busting activity which is fun for all the family and playable by toddlers as well as older kids. The idea of the game is to keep the balloon off the ground using your hands or feet and an upwards batting motion. To up the exercise stakes parents can introduce some fitness forfeits for balloon droppers which might include star jumps, twists or running on the spot for a set amount of time. When everyone's hot and red-faced, finish with a hair-raising selfie by rubbing the balloon on your jumper and then hovering it over your head or settle down to some craft and decorate the ballooon with silly faces.
This one is an absolute personal favourite of mine and takes place in our narrow corrider, it's sock-skating. Admittedly this needs wooden or laminate floors. Get an adult to test for splinters first, when you've got the all clear, dig deep to find your smoothest socks and run, slip and slide to your hearts content. Introduce stopping on command, sliding to a seated position or sliding without slipping over (great for the core). You can also add soft props like pillows, teddy bears and bean bags which can be balanced wherever you fancy! The aim is to try not to drop the props mid slide.
My final idea for getting children to exercise in small, indoor spaces without spending a penny is the hallowed Pillow Fight. Push the beds together (if singles) remove any precious items from the periphery of the bed, cover any hard corners and give all participants a soft pillow and blow the whistle. Did you know according to the Guinness Book of Records the biggest organized pillow fight was on July 21st 2015 and included 6,261 people and their pillows!
Kiddikicks kids football operates an indoor outdoor policy throughout the year where possible. This means we play football outdoors from April to October and we move indoors from November to March. Please check out our
timetable for specific information pertaining to each of our centres and age groups.
Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your day.