Tips On How To Get Your Kids Moving This Spring:

“Dr. Mantell, now it’s his PHYSICAL literacy I have to worry about?” asked one parent with whom I was speaking about her child’s lack of physical activity. “Isn’t it tough enough to just get him to read something instead of constantly play those stupid games all day long on his Xbox?” she groaned.

I can certainly empathize. Whenever we’re with our grandchildren, ranging from 5 to 15 years old, their grandmother, a certified personal trainer, always keeps them active. “Uh oh, Grandma Paula is going to get us moving with one of her newest workouts,” they’ll sigh. And boy does she ever bring a bag full of fun kid workouts with her for workouts at home.

Let’s all remember that when many of us grew up, we rode, ran, raced, recharged and refused to come inside until the streetlights came on and our moms called us in to sit down and do our homework. At least that’s how it was for me.

We didn’t need to be told that we needed physical literacy to be healthy. We just spent our time running, skating, dancing, jumping, leaping, dodging, catching, bending, twisting, reaching, and even swimming when we could. It didn’t matter if it was on land, ice, water or snow. We had fun playing youth sports. We were fit kids, and didn’t necessarily think we were playing games for kid’s health. We were just playing.

We didn’t think about the harmful effects that not being active would create. I guess we were quite confident in our abilities to be agile, balanced, strong, flexible, coordinated and fast…in other words, we were physically literate!

Physical literacy isn’t about being competent in just one sport or one activity. Children and teens that are physically literate are those who are motivated, and able to engage in a wide range of healthy physical activities that are good for their body and mind. Physically literate children continue to make healthy choices about physical activities throughout their lives to live in optimal health.

Creating physical literacy today is not as seemingly hands-off and natural as it once was. Digital toys and technology notwithstanding, kids are far more sedentary in general than in previous times. So how can we promote and advance physical literacy in our children today?

1. It begins with you. Are you a good role model? Grandma Paula is a terrific example of creating interest in physical activity. Show your children your passion for being active at home, in the gym, on the sports field or at the local boot camp. Be encouraging and never punitive or critical of the rate of physical development. Don’t compare your child’s speed, for example to another youngster’s on the track.
2. The more variety, the better. Start slowly with games that include playing catch, hopping, jumping rope, racing to the end of the block and skipping. These are all ways to build interest and keep it fun. Help your child find success and enjoyment in the gym, martial arts, team sports, solo activities and in other ways of increasing movement.
3. Do activities as a family to improve physical literacy. Be sure your children’s school promotes opportunities for a wide range of physical education. Does your child have at least 30 minutes of vigorous activity per day for toddlers and 60 minutes per day for preschoolers at home or in day-care?
4. It starts at birth so don’t forget your infants, who even at one or two months of age, begin developing physical literacy. For example, can your two month old lift his/her head and chest while on his/her stomach? At four months old, can he/she roll over from back to front, support him/herself on elbows and grasp for objects? By 18 months, can your toddler walk, stand and sit independently, walk up steps holding your hand, even begin to run? At four years old, can he/she run, kick, throw and swim? By five years old, can he/she play some basic sports, ride a bike with training wheels, and follow a basic dance pattern? Does he/she have at least an hour a day of physical activity?