This fun indoor exercise for kids will preserve your sanity.
Indoor exercise for kids comin’ at ya! Do you know that over the course of one year, it’s estimated that almost 314,000 children between the age of 4-11 experience a mental health disorder – a staggering 14%? That can be anything from ADHD, anxiety, depression, to behavioural problems. (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare). According to the World Health Organisation, poor mental health can impact the potential of young people to live fulfilling and productive lives.
But, there’s good news and it comes in the form of a plastic circle!
Fun indoor exercise for kids
A growing amount of evidence points to hula hooping as a regenerative, positive exercise that contributes to better mental health – and to social and emotional wellbeing. In this time of lockdown and quarantine, a fun indoor exercise for kids is needed now more than ever. In a recent study, Chief Science Officer Cedric Bryant says: “Not only can hooping result in improved cardiovascular health, muscle conditioning, flexibility and balance, but hula hooping may also provide a fun, relaxing and potentially meditative effect due to the activity’s rhythmic nature”.
(American Council on Exercise)
Boom. Let’s get into some indoor exercise for kids.
If you’re an avid hula hooper you will already know the benefits of hula hooping for both physical and overall health. And, if you’re not – you are about to find out! The sense of joy and warmth in the body and the sense of calm in the mind after a good hula hoop sesh is irrefutable.
Have you ever considered that those same benefits of hula hooping do wonders for kids too? Indoor exercise for kids can be JUST as fun as basketball in the park.
7 reasons your children should grab a hoop:
- Exercise is great. The more, the better! You only need a small space for this indoor exercise for kids. Being active and trying out new things wherever possible means kids can explore all kinds of movement and land on what they love.
- Introduces focus. The focus and attention required to learn hula hoop tricks offers real-time rewards and translates into life beyond the hoop too. Don’t let lockdown be a barrier – all you need is a hoop for this loopy indoor exercise for kids.
- Works on flexibility. Bryant (Amercian Council on Exercise) says “the findings from our commissioned study indicate that hooping delivers a total-body workout that can improve flexibility and balance while strengthening the back, abdominal, arm and leg muscles.” Good for you, good for them.
- Remembering to breathe is important at all ages. Breathing is so important, and hooping is fun exercise! Any dance or exercise that requires breathing is an opportunity for kids to learn to apply this to other difficult areas in life.
- Less screen time = resilient minds. Let’s be honest, any real-time activity that is fun and accessible is a massive bonus! Time to get kids out of their heads, away from their screens and into their bodies. Bonus: hooping is magical so, with a little imagination and a few prompts, indoor exercise for kids becomes The Great Outdoors.
- Better sleep. A child who has exerted heaps of physical energy playing and loads of mental energy learning something new will drop off to sleep sooner and sleep better when they do. ( The Cooper Institute)
- It’s FUN fitness. Kids are far more engaged when doing something fun! They call it fun; we call it indoor exercise for kids. Potato, Pot-ah-toe.
Indoor exercise for kids doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult. Introducing children to hula hooping at any age can promote better overall health, a more resilient mindset throughout school and give them tools to become happy, discerning, strong adults. That’s pretty cool, and I think that’s something worth sharing.
I love hooping because you can do it from anywhere. Being able to hoop from home, in a backyard or park makes this an indoor exercise for kids that is easily accessible for so many people and families – making hooping attractive for parents and people with busy lives. There’s always five minutes for a hula hoop, and always time for some fun and indoor exercise for kids.
Sign your kids up for a hoop workshop or private lesson for some online indoor exercise for kids.
Or check out this free online hula hoop tutorial (and yes, you can join in too): Hoop Dance For Kids video on YouTube.
