Doing the right thing by kids re: sports and exercise

Why don't you combine running and body weight movments to break the running up. Run to x point, do 10 squats, run to the next point pushups... etc. By the time it warms up enough to run outdoors she'll probably be fit enough to not need to do c25k. Don't drop the running completely but add in some variation to keep her interested.

Context; I have no children of my own, but worked as a Swimming Instructor and Coach for ages 6 months through 16 years old.

I think growing bored of things at that age is perfectly fine, and I don't see an issue at all with her wanting to move on to something new. It's an opportunity for her to explore her options in a safe and supervised manner, and find what she really enjoys and can stick to.

If she wants go "get strong" at the moment, then I'd let her go ahead with that and honestly I wouldn't even mention running again until she brings it up again -- which I don't doubt she will.

Would be interested in hearing some different views on this. Not asking to be told what to do - I have what I think is a reasonable approach - just interested in some feedback.

About 4 weeks ago my 7 yo daughter asked to start the couch to 5k program. She said she eventually wanted to start running with me. We did the first session outside because we had a freakish nice day and she enjoyed it. But now, since it's so cold, we've been doing it on an indoor running track at the gym. It's a small track, 18 laps = 1 mile. Problem is, she's getting pretty bored with it. I think it's mostly because of running inside in a circle, to be honest.

This has left me with a bit of a dilemma. On the one hand I want to encourage her to see out the things she starts. On the other hand, I don't want to be that dad that is forcing their kids to do stuff they don't want to. Developing a bad relationship with exercise is probably even worse than letting her quit.

She has been asking about doing more exercise to 'get strong'. So I figured I could replace the current running sessions with a calisthenics program I'd do with her. Still keeping her fit, still maintaining some commitment and discipline, but not forcing her into something she's not enjoying. Then maybe we can recommence C25k in the spring when it warms up a little and we can run outside, if that still interests her.

Thoughts? Sound like a reasonable plan?

Kids keep fit by doing physical stuff THEY like to do. Let her try it. She'll figure out what she enjoys and will continue with it.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Keeping kids interested in sports is a constant struggle until it clicks. And it clicks for a while and sometimes that falls apart. The best laid plans, etc...

Stay flexible, make it interesting, be excited. Running is boring, but planing a trip to go to a run is a lot more fun.

My oldest biked with me, found it ok, but when we did RAGBRAI she gas a story for life.
My daughters rode horses, but moving to Germany I thought I had it made when we lived on a horse farm and had access to them 24 hrs. But no, the owner of the school yelled and made my girls feel uncomfortable and killed their desire to ride.
My girls now love Zorro (they fence) or watch oceanography films (they got certified) or look at films of speed climbing the Eiger (it's a great movie - they climb).

Next weekend they are riding from Lille to Brussels. (Maybe, weather is sketchy) shopping is included. Sometimes competition works, sometime it's the beauty. Gotta think like a child.

Can you sign up for any parent-child fitness classes together?

Also sports or lessons with her peers? It is great for her to see her parents be active, but she will probably also enjoy doing soccer or dance or something with kids her own age. It might keep the fun in it a bit longer as well.

When you're a kid, exercising just for exercises sake is going to be boring and possibly a squandered opportunity. Enroll her in tennis, or track, or gymnastics, or karate or all of the above or whatever flight of fancy might pass thru her mind. That way she'll get physical activity, attainable goals, coaching, and social interaction.

I agree that exercise is important for kids.
I don't necessarily think it needs to be a highly structured activity, but definitely something she enjoys and that keeps her moving.
Let her explore different activities/sports.
And even if she finds something she likes now, it may (probably will) change as she grows older.

My daughter is 9 and has had very little instruction in gymnastics, but loves to go to open gym night and run, jump & flip for two hours.
We take her ice skating & sledding in the winter and swimming & bike riding all summer.

IMHO: the most important factor for kids her age is that you're involved with her.
She'll remember/enjoy that more than anything else.

I think it is great to instill a love for being active in a child. I only know of two things to keep in mind:
1.) A child's cardiovascular system is not a little adult system. It is different. When adults exercise, our heart rate goes up and so does the amount of blood pushed out with each contraction (the so-called stroke volume). But, with younger children, just the heart rate goes up. Their stroke volume actually goes down a bit. That might mean their heart beats a bit faster than ours when there is prolonged exercise, and that might be worrisome.
I think I have this information correct. I used to coach soccer and I was briefed on this once. It was a while ago, however. I might have the specifics wrong. You should probably look it up if you are interested.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9339493
2.) Regarding team sports, we start kids out really young now. But they are really not ready for it. Young children do not have the ability to grasp the "team:" concept and "team" play. There is an age when they do get it -- I believe it is at about 9-11 years -- and when they do it is really obvious. Before that, they just cannot get it. So, we are really kind of pushing them beyond their abilities when we start these sports so young.
I think my kids had a number of sports ruined for them because they played them too young. With no team play -- and 90 percent of the time you do not have the ball -- they found these games extremely boring.
(T-ball isn't exactly a team sport; it is more like an individual sport played on a team. But, it is a travesty as far as building affection for the game. Who wants to have to stand around for an hour in left field, or third base, while everyone on the other teams hits the ball but nobody gets out because nobody can field? Who wants to sit in the dugout while your entire team bats -- slowly -- when there are between 12 and 15 players on a team? Do you know how long it takes before you get to bat? Shoot, we did not start until the kids could pitch, and by then we were ready!)

But, by all means, in my opinion, if your daughter wants to get out there with you to frolic and run, let her. It's gotta be good for her, if only psychologically. And, the bonding between you and she will be priceless!

Hell. I'm 33 and I'd be bored out of my mind running circles inside. I agree, sign her up for a team or a class or something.

Werd

what about soccer, softball, volleyball, swimming, field hockey, lacrosse, tennis, gymnastics, dance..

Perhaps she wanted to run, and then strength train, with you to get more of your attention.

Try more socializing with her during your time together. The time she "spends with you" will probably be way more important than the "time she spends exercising with you in the room".

While the above may "slow you down", you will be actively involved with her, and I suspect she will see you as her role model.

Hell. I'm 33 and I'd be bored out of my mind running circles inside. I agree, sign her up for a team or a class or something.

Werd

Running track is a little hard to explain if you've never done it before at a local event. There is a huge difference between
running 1500m alone
and
running 1500m with dozens of people cheering you on

In the same way, it's different when you squat 500lb in the gym and squat 500lb at a powerlifting meet (not that I've ever done it!). It's the atmosphere, the noise, the brief moment of silence in your head before you start when everything around you is chaos. Think about the start of a 100m. It's dead silent, but when the gun is fired, everything changes and the whole world is watching you.

DevPaul, like you said: "When you're a kid, exercising just for exercises sake is going to be boring and possibly a squandered opportunity." Deciding to go to the track to run a few laps or do a few squats and deadlifts in the gym, that's a squandered opportunity, that doesn't make anyone an athlete. What makes someone an athlete is when they plan what want to do for the upcoming days, weeks, months and years; when they have to get early and go to the track with your team or your coach, train for 2 hours, get therapy or a massage, then go train again straight after or later that day. Then repeat that every day with a clear goal for the future.

A decent chess player will think 1 move ahead, in the same way that a normal guy or girl will think about tomorrow's training sessions, but a great chess player will think 10 moves ahead. A parent or coach should help kids ascertain a goal for the future, even the parent or coach thinks kids are too young to have a goal.

When you're a kid, exercising just for exercises sake is going to be boring and possibly a squandered opportunity. Enroll her in tennis, or track, or gymnastics, or karate or all of the above or whatever flight of fancy might pass thru her mind. That way she'll get physical activity, attainable goals, coaching, and social interaction.

Agree with this too. Having done strength training with kids teams, they will try to engage in it more with peers then going at it alone many times.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Sounds like your doing it correct.

All my kids do some sport. Mom and Dad always have, so they always were interested in it. 7 years old is young, none of my kids could run that far or fast to keep up with me. I used to go on outside runs on the weekend e.g. 5 or 6 miles. Sometimes they would go with me on their bicycles. I never forced them and sometimes, I would run half way to the park and stop and let them play for a few minutes. I could put a water bottle strapped on their bike.

Soccer is another good sport for that age to get more activity.

my kids both do swimming (we live in Australia it's practically a must here) and then they can do a team sport and an individual sport, provided it doesn't clash with each other, so my daughter does gymnastics all year around and is debating soccer or hockey for winter sports. My son does cricket as a summer sport and as that is very time consuming (at his age it is 4h games at 35C heat), he only does hockey as a winter sport.