Healthy activity habits for children

Daily exercise teaches children how to get along with others and helps children maintain a healthy weight. You can help your child stay active and healthy by:

* Being a good role model—be active yourself.
* Creating opportunities for your child to be active for 30 to 60 minutes each day. One way to increase your and your child's activity is to break the time up into several 10- to 15-minute periods of vigorous exercise throughout the day, doing activities such as running, jumping rope, or playing soccer.
o Plan family activities that involve exercise. Go hiking or biking, wash the car, or walk around a mall. Offer choices, and let your child decide.
o Make physical activity part of daily routines. For example, walk with your child to do errands or walk to the bus stop or school, if possible.
o Join other families and create "neighborhood" time with group activities like touch football, basketball, or hide-and-seek.
o Let your child try different organized activities to see what he or she enjoys, such as tennis, T-ball, soccer, or martial arts. 
* Instead of letting your child pick out a food treat at the store, allow a low-cost toy that promotes activity, such as a jump rope, Frisbee, or ball.
* Set limits on daily computer and television "screen time."
* Assign every family member daily, weekly, or monthly tasks that involve physical activity, such as housecleaning chores, weeding the garden, or washing the car. Rotate the schedule of tasks to keep your family interested.