The WHY and HOW of Running for Kids
Running is an activity that our bodies were naturally built to do. If you’ve ever watched children running after their friends or a ball in the backyard, you know they don’t just run — they fly. Yes! Kids are natural sprinters. Children innately run the moment they can walk. Toddlers dash around to get everywhere as fast as they can. Yet studies show that 17 % of American children ages 2 to 19 are overweight. It’s clear that kids need to move their bodies more, and, as caregivers, coaches, and teachers, we need to provide them the environment and structure to incorporate movement into their daily lives. An excellent way to increase children’s physical activity is to find creative ways to get moving that work for your family and lifestyle. Daily physical exercises do not have to be complicated or costly to be effective. There is an easy and simple activity called running that can help our kids. You can run in your neighborhood, local parks, and trails. Kids between the ages of 5–13 years don’t need a lot of structure to get started and keep moving. Actually, the more fun and autonomous the running activity will be, the more kids will adhere to it. Fun, play, curiosity, and, motivation to do new and daring things are intrinsic to kids’ nature.
Here are a few reasons WHY running is vital for your kids.
Improved health — With the rise of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and health-related issues, encouraging children to enjoy the act of movement early in their lives can set the stage for increased wellness and cardiovascular health in their future. The health benefits of being physically active in childhood and adolescence include a lower risk of obesity and chronic diseases, better sleep habits, and school success. According to Teri McCambridge, M.D., chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) “Children involved in running can carry it on as a lifestyle that is maintained into adulthood.”
Success in school- Strong bodies yield strong minds! Physical activity promotes healthy growth and improves sleep. A healthier lifestyle early on translates to better focus and scores in the classroom. Running also teaches discipline and builds resilience, which can translate in adulthood to improved productivity at work.
Better motor skills — Running is a great activity to build and improve kids’ motor skills. The kids have to learn and practice agility, coordination, balance, and body awareness to build strong motor skills. The more they practice, the more advanced these motor skills become. The more kids will run, the better their motor skills will be.
Better athletic ability- It is an integral component within the majority of most sports. Running will make your kid a better and faster athlete, no matter which sport they prefer. Soccer, basketball, and softball, you name it, all these activities have some form of running involved. Running builds strength, velocity, and endurance that can be easily carried into other sports.
Injury prevention- Running helps to replace sedentary behaviors that create postural dysfunction and reduce energy expenditure. Running also teaches kids better movement biomechanics early on in life. Research has shown that most of the musculoskeletal injures are caused by postural dysfunction and movement biomechanics. Better posture and biomechanics mean fewer injuries and chronic pain syndromes as an adult.
Active family- Research studies show that children of active parents are twice as likely to be active themselves. Parents serve as kids’ primary role models. Running with your kids and on your own will help you set the example for your kids. As parents, you can build the love of running in your kids. Doing so can set healthy patterns for your whole family. The extra family bonding time while running together is a great way to build your kids’ social and emotional strength.
How to involve your kids in Running?
The most crucial step for parents is to create a positive environment that focuses on fun and building basic movement. Running a lot more fun for kids when they have autonomy and intrinsic motivation to run. Encouraging and cheering on them rather than providing criticism can go a long way to infuse the love for running in children. Kids need parents to make activity easy by providing equipment, signing them up for organized running clubs, and taking them to playgrounds, track or, trails. The more often you take your kids to these places for the run, the sooner the kids will start associating those places with fun running. The running session doesn’t have to be very long. It can be a 5-minute warm-up on the play structure followed by a 20-minute run around the park. Short running sessions are great; I go out for 20 minute runs myself on my busy workdays. You can also make running fun with games like Simon says, “run up the hill.” Another way to incorporate a love of running is to read running-related stories to the kids.
Kids love to keep up with their peers. So, group training and running sessions with friends are excellent for kids to start running. There are a lot of organizations in local communities that provide fun and structured running programs for kids. I am on the board of one such organization called iRun4Life. iRun4Life is located in suburban Philadelphia and provides a spring afterschool running program for kids in elementary schools. The iRun4Life coaches provide an 8-week running training program that ends with a kids-only 3K race. Local YMCA clubs also have running clubs for kids. Look out for programs like these in your community and get your kids involved in running. Running is an activity that builds confidence, a positive outlook on life, grit, strength, and a stronger immune system in kids.
Get your kids involved running, be active yourself, and set a good example for your kids. If you start your them early enough, they’ll come to regard running as a normal — and fun — part of your family’s everyday routine. Then all you will see is their arms pumping, knees high, big smiles, and red cheeks. No rules involved, just pure joy!
About the Author
Aesha Tahir is a health and wellness coach and a certified personal trainer. She holds a Master’s degree in Applied Exercise Science and is certified by the NASM as a Personal trainer. She is a certified USA Track and Field Running Coach. She is a 200 HR Registered Yoga Teacher. She is also a group exercise instructor specializing in barre, spinning, strength training, boot camp, and yoga classes. She has over five years of experience in the fitness and wellness arena with focused expertise in coaching, corrective exercise and injury prevention, individualized fitness programs, and group fitness programs. She is also an aspiring public speaker in the fitness and wellness world who believes in this quote; “To be inspired is great, but to inspire is incredible.”
