When you read the title you may think that it is an obvious statement. Obvious or not, we as parents often take the fun out of fitness. Even when we have good intentions we can rob kids of the enjoyment that comes from activity. We may go into an activity planning on having fun and being relaxed but then we start to think about what our child will learn from the activity. We think of what we can teach them. We trick ourselves into turning the activity into a learning experience or even practice. Once our kids have completed the task we may realize what we have done, but sadly we often don’t have the realization of what just took place and we don’t see our child’s perspective.
So how do we make fitness fun? Start by making the decision that certain activities and certain times are just for enjoyment. There should be no preconceived plan on training or coaching. Do not have a hidden agenda to teach your child a skill. JUST DO IT! (Sorry I may have stolen that phrase.) For example, go out and shoot hoops without instruction. Kick a ball with no drills involved. Hit a tennis ball or play pickleball with no rules or scoring. Just have fun. The most important part in learning a skill is the repetition not in the instruction. Kids will repeat a skill more when they enjoy the activity.
Nothing can steal the joy out of an activity more than being told you are doing it wrong. Kids hear the negatives and remember them far more than they remember the positives. A well ment teaching moment at the wrong time can lead to a child not wanting to play. So have some understanding that at times you need to just play and not instruct. There are times when instruction is needed and even expected. In the right context when the child knows they are being helped, instruction can be positive. Instruction is best reserved for a scheduled practice and often comes best from a coach.
So how do we make fitness fun? We make sure fitness is fun by making it about playing. Playing is always fun. Little kids play because they enjoy it. For young kids fitness is free play or as I like to call it guided free play. As kids get older, play often becomes about sports. I love sports and think that all kids should be involved in a sport, but as kids get older sports seem to become less about play and more about competition. There is nothing wrong with competition. I also love competition, but don’t let competition take playing away from sports. We often refer to a child as playing a sport. But if we watch some kids’ facial expressions they don’t look like they are playing. The number one thing your child should get from any sports program is enjoyment.
If your child is not getting enjoyment from their activities then something is wrong. Maybe as a parent your approach needs to change. Maybe the child’s expectations are off. Maybe there’s a coach or league issue. Maybe your child is not in the correct activity. Whatever the case, something has to change. Your child needs to find the right fit for them so they can excel physically and mentally. If they are having fun with their fitness then they will want to do it now and continue to do it into adulthood.
The main goal of fitness should be to have fun. All of the other goals will follow if your child likes what they are doing and continues to do it throughout the years and throughout their life. So play with your child. It is good for them and good for you also.
