How to Keep Your Kids Motivated to be Active this Winter

Keeping your kids active is not only an important habit that will benefit them throughout their lifetime but it is a great way to burn their energy which may help them be more restful at night and have a better sleep. The better they sleep and the more active they are, the less challenging they will be, it will be easier for them to learn as they should be able to concentrate better, and you are setting them up with healthy habits for the future.

On average, kids should be active for at least an hour a day, yet according to the AIHW, less than a quarter are meeting that requirement. Pair in the past two years of on-and-off lockdowns and the fact that we are about to go into winter, and you have some serious sedentary habits to break!

So how can we encourage our kids to be active through winter? Here are some ideas.

Sign up for a fun run

A family-friendly fun run is a great way to get your kids to lace up their shoes and have something to prepare for. Fun runs are a great day out for the whole family, but they also provide a goal to work towards which is a good motivator for the family to lace up, get out and get active in preparation.

The Real Insurance Sydney Harbour 10K and 5K is a great course for families as it is a flat, fast track and it offers two achievable distances. It also happens right in the middle of winter, on Sunday, July 24 so it is a good way to enjoy the cooler weather and stay warm with exercise, plus the harbour views and spectacular Sydney scenery make for a good distraction when the going gets tough.

Get the kids to go for a run before or after school. Mix it up between running a longer distance, sprints and speed play to keep it interesting. In addition to being active, it is a good way to teach them how to plan, prepare and be ready for race day. Then next year they can aim to beat their time!

Make activity part of their day

On the days that they don’t have PE at school, encourage them to get outside and play at the park daily to get them active and have fun. Being active does not need to be about exercise, it can also be about play. Enjoy the free playgrounds that communities have access to. Bring a ball down to the oval and kick it around as a family. Get outdoors and make the most of the natural spaces around us. It is a good way to get fresh air and be away from the four walls of our homes or classrooms.

Set a good example

If your kids see you enjoying being active, it is more likely that they will enjoy it too. If they see you dragging yourself to a workout, however, grumbling about it and listing the things you dislike about yourself as a reason to go, they will likely see it as a chore or something negative. There are plenty of ways to be active. Finding something you enjoy as you feel inspired will likely be more inspiring for the kids.

Sports

If there is a centre near you, consider signing your kids up for a winter sport such as netball or soccer. That way they have to practise throughout the week and games on the weekend to keep them engaged. Team sports is also a good way to teach them how to goal set and encourage them to want to work hard to improve. Additionally, some fitness studios are now offering kids classes that have a focus on play and fun too such as the Flow Young Athletes at Flow Athletic which runs in 8-week terms to keep the kids interested.

About the event

The Real Insurance Sydney Harbour 10K and 5K on Sunday July 24 is an exciting morning out to fundraise for the Australian Cancer Research Foundation as they continue to fund pioneering programs and revolutionary research into all cancer types.

Set against the backdrop of Sydney’s breathtaking harbour, The Real Insurance Sydney Harbour 10K and 5K is a certified accurate flat course with incredible views. It can be enjoyed by walkers and runners of all abilities with both 10K and 5K options available.

The 5K event is a flat course that’s ideal for those trying out a fun run for the first time. It’s a wonderful way to spend your Sunday morning with family and friends (get the whole crew together!) while getting some exercise to boost your mental and physical wellbeing.

For those training for a longer run, the 10K provides an excellent platform to test your endurance, now that running events are back on the calendar. If you are new to running, test out the flat and fast course to give you a runner’s high!

Supporting ACRF at the Real Insurance Sydney Harbour 10k and 5k means you will be helping ACRF back projects that push boundaries and blaze new trails. You’ll be giving scientists access to cutting edge technology that drives innovation and saves lives.