You may not believe this but winter can be a time to increase your child’s fitness. That may sound strange since during the winter months there are less hours of daylight and in most of the United States the temperature can drop below freezing. But if you give it some thought and effort you can find things to do that can stimulate your child’s fitness differently than during warm weather. So don’t be a bear and hibernate for 3-4 months with your family. Keep your kids moving during the winter time. I will show you how.
Let us first talk about indoor activities. There are several sports that your child can participate in that will provide indoor winter time movement. Most of these activities are going to be in a gym or indoor courts or in a swimming pool. The most common winter time sport in America is basketball. Basketball is great because it challenges our bodies in many different ways. The best thing that it does is provide a space to run and get in cardiovascular activity. It also provides jumping, lateral movement and hand eye coordination. You can also find leagues with varied levels of competition. There are less competitive leagues at the YMCA or in Upwards programs. Most areas will have recreational leagues and then there are ultra competitive AAU and travel teams. Search for the league that is right for your child.
Swimming is another popular winter activity. Kids can swim in youth programs at their local gym or YMCA. They can also compete for local swim teams. Swimming is a great form of cardio. An advantage of swimming is that it is a lifetime skill. Kids that practice swimming will retain their skills for their life and can use them for recreation or fitness when adults.
Other common winter time indoor activities include dance and gymnastics. Again in most areas you can find a program that suits your child’s level of competitiveness. Some kids will be involved with those programs just to have fun and learn skills while other kids will want to be very competitive and compete at the highest level possible. Other possible team sports that could be found during the winter include volleyball, tennis and indoor soccer just to name a few more.
There are also wintertime sports that are indoors. I’m talking about hockey and ice skating. While some kids may do these year round they can be a fun way to be active during the wintertime. I would suggest calling your local ice rink to see what they have available. Most will have open skating, skating lessons and team activities. Even if you visit the rink just a few times during open skating during the winter you will be giving your child a few hours of physical activity and your child will be learning a new skill.
But what about kids who are not interested in team sports or who are not very competitive. For them the local gym is an excellent place to go during the wintertime. You can get a yearly membership but some gyms will also sell monthly memberships or short term memberships. The gym is where you can go as a family so you can be a good role model for your child. Many gyms offer a wide variety of activities that can suit the entire family. Most gyms will have free weights, barebells and weight machines. Often gyms will also have equipment like treadmills, exercise bikes, stair steppers, rowing machines and other unique devices. Look for a gym that has a court. This may provide times for basketball, pickleball or other activities that require a more wide open area. Some of the more all inclusive gyms will have classes that may be appealing for older children or they may have programs that are specifically geared for younger children. Do some internet searching and visit a few places in your area to find a gym that is right for your kids.
There are many other places to get activity during the winter months. These places are going to be more recreational. I am thinking of indoor facilities like roller skating rinks, trampoline parks, climbing facilities, and indoor play facilities. Children often visit these places with family, friends, or church groups. These can be a nice respite for the entire family during a long winter. Often kids do not visit these places very frequently due to cost but if you look into it, some will have memberships or discounted rates for frequent visitors.
As you can see there are many activities in the winter to keep kids fit. I am sure there are other indoor activities I have failed to mention. Try to be proactive this winter so your child can be active. Come back in the next week as I write about the benefits of being outside during winter.
