Identifying Child Education GoalsIdentifying Child Education Goals

Children who aren't interested in sports may be wary of their physical education classes. However, just because your child isn't sporty, doesn't mean he or she can't enjoy physical activity. With rising obesity in the United States, it's important for your child to not only eat a balanced diet, but find activities that will be physically and mentally stimulating. Here are some ideas that can help your child develop healthy habits.

Check Out Schools That Offer Fitness Centers

Thankfully, more and more schools are seeing the value in physical activity and offer fitness centers on campus. These fitness centers are great because many are offered for student use after school. If you child is stressed out and needs a break before homework and other activities, encourage him or her to use this center to walk on a treadmill or ride a stationary bike. Your child can watch a movie on a phone or read a book, while doing so.

While young children shouldn't be trying to bulk up, webmd.com says that preteens can weight train within the correct parameters. Since some school fitness centers open up to the community, you may be allowed to weight train with your child. This activity can be a fun, bonding experience, and weight lifting has been showen to help energy levels, improve one's mood, and encourage restful sleep.

Don't Ban Technology—Embrace Its Use For Fitness

When you think of physical activity, you probably don't think of using a phone. However, technology isn't inherently bad, when it comes to physical activity: Pokemon Go got more kids out walking than ever before. A fantastic recreational activity that you and your child should try is geocaching.

Geocaching is an activity where you search for a hidden treasure (known as a "cache") by using GPS coordinates. People have posted these coordinates online, and there are numerous spots where you can hike to find these caches. These activities should be supervised by an adult, but your child and their friends may have a blast searching for these caches. Some caches even have guest books, so you and your child can look forward to signing these.

Look For Individualized Activities That Are Less Competitive

While healthy competition can be great, a little can go a long way. If your child isn't keen on team sports that emphasize winning, maybe he or she needs an activity that focuses on individual achievement.

Activities that are great for individuals include things like:

• skateboarding

• horseback riding

• yoga

• martial arts

• ice skating

• dancing

• jogging

• rock climbing

• archery

While some of these activities do have competitive options, many of them can just be done for fun. Your child may have lots of fun learning and practicing new techniques. For instance, if they develop an interest in yoga, then they may be excited to improve their balance and flexibility, as they try more challenging poses.

As you can see, even if a child isn't into sports, there are many ways for him or her to enjoy physical activity.

For more information, talk to companies like YMCA of Greater Cincinnati.