Children who learn healthy habits early in life are likely to continue these practices as they grow older. There are some simple and fun heart-healthy activities that parents can promote on a regular basis to keep good cardiovascular health and set a course of healthy habits for life.
Samara Per, PT, DPT, CBIS
Samara Per, PT, DPT, CBIS, Senior Pediatric Physical Therapist in the Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance at Mount Sinai, shares her exercise recommendations that kids of all ages can use to start practicing heart health.
“When thinking about how to best promote exercise in children, we can use play as an easy way to introduce and encourage movement,” she says. “Children are innately curious about their surroundings and how they can interact with their world. One of the best ways to support this is through purposeful play.”
Exercises for Newborns
- Help newborns find their hands, encouraging them to bring their hands together and to their mouth so that they can learn about how their hands can be used to interact with their body.
- Make sure that newborns spend time in various positions throughout the day when they are awake—including their sides and tummy to encourage strong postural muscles and allow them to learn about how their body can move on different surfaces.
- Aim for 20 minutes of purposeful play a day to help a newborn’s development.
- Encourage newborns to visually track high contrast baby cards to start to use their eye muscles so that they are better able to see and visually interact with their environment as they age.
Exercises for Babies
- Place toys around your baby on the floor, just out of reach, to encourage movement around the environment. This allows babies to explore and learn new skills, such as rolling and crawling.
- Once babies start to be on the move, further encourage skill development by moving toys to various surface heights. This can help to develop their muscles so they can sit, kneel, and stand all while focusing on play.
- As babies age, increase their play time as their wake windows increase—aiming for 45 minutes of purposeful play a day.
Exercises for Toddlers and Young Children
- Encourage everyday mobility by turning walking into adventures—make it fun by hiding toys around the house and yard, or perhaps go for a walk to collect leaves and sticks for an art project.
- Encourage dancing or walking like your child’s favorite animal for increased endurance, such as crab walking and bear walking.
- Kicking a ball back and forth, playing hopscotch or “Simon Says” are great for balance, and can help children to build a strong foundation for movement.
- Once children have grown into toddlers and young children it is recommended to increase purposeful play to 60 minutes a day.
By incorporating simple exercises and body challenges into play, you can help contribute to heart health and encourage children to grow up with strong bodies.
