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Lift, Jump and Run
Exercising with Your Toddler
By Charlene Torkelson, Fitness Expert
Try a short race to the tree and back first. Then set up your course: to the tree, around the bush, up and down the front steps and back to the start. If there is enough room to race, participate! Remember to let your child win some of the time. If you have limited space, then time them either with a watch for a longer course or by counting for a shorter run. If you have a space such as a basketball court, do a few laps. Count the laps to see who holds the record to make it more fun and challenging. Everyone exercises longer and a little more effectively if they think there is a game or challenge involved.
Exercise is not only for staying fit and keeping active, but it is for increasing coordination and motor skills, too. Tossing a ball may be quite challenging for a toddler. Try tossing back and forth a larger soft ball (a Nerf ball or bean-filled ball is perfect to begin with). Begin by standing relatively close together until your child feels the motion needed to get the ball to you. Then move farther apart. After you are able to get a good toss going, count how many times you are able to go back and forth without dropping the ball. Then at the park or in a larger outdoor area, try a contest to see how far you can throw the ball.