Book 10, Question 147
Why Include Joyful Movement, Not Only Formal Exercise?
Joyful movement counts because fun makes habits stick. Dancing, biking, and playing games build a strong heart without the dread of a boring workout. Any movement you enjoy counts as exercise, whether it is fast or slow.
More fun facts
- For kids, exercise simply means playing and being physically active, like during recess, dance class, soccer practice, bike rides or a game of tag.
- Dance, yoga and martial arts like karate all count as flexibility activities that help muscles and joints bend and stretch.
- Doctors say young children should be playing actively throughout the day, including free play they choose themselves as well as adult-led activities.
- In a three-year study, 169 kids aged 8 to 12 wore activity trackers, and those whose enjoyment of moving stayed high had a smaller drop in activity as they grew older.
- A study of 462 children aged 7 to 11 in Bristol, England, found that kids who moved because it was fun and satisfying spent more minutes in heart-pumping activity.
- Because enjoyment helps kids keep moving, scientists recommend health programs that encourage activities kids actually enjoy.
Sources: KidsHealth (Nemours), National Institutes of Health, National Institutes of Health
Questions kids ask
Does playing tag count as exercise?
Yes. For kids, exercise means playing and being active, so games like tag, riding bikes and dancing all count.
Why does it matter if I enjoy moving?
A three-year study found that kids who kept enjoying physical activity had a smaller drop in how active they were as they got older.