Children running is quite a hot topic. Almost everyone agrees that running is healthy for humans, but is this true for children as well?
Let’s look at the facts and trends. Unfortunately, the percentage of young children struggling with obesity is growing rapidly.
Exercise – and especially running – can be a huge help to ending this unhealthy trend.
Children Running Is Fun and Healthy
A growing number of running parents have discovered that it is really a lot of fun to run with their children.
Take a look at some popular running events and you will notice several small races are organized for children of all ages.
5K races and, for younger children, races of 400m to 2000m are especially popular.
It is not about winning the race; for children, it is about having a good time running – how far and how fast is less important.
Do you have children? What are you waiting for – just give it a try and join them for a run today!
Avoid Excessive Running
As long as ensure your child is running properly, everything is okay. Be aware of what ‘excessive running’ means for your child because there is no one general definition.
One child can run further than the other without the risk of damaging his or her body. As a rule of thumb, children under 15 years of age should not run further than 10 miles or a half marathon – that is, when your child is properly trained.
Although you sometimes hear of children running distances of a marathon or further, I would say the age barrier for running marathons is at least 18 years old.
Keep Your Running Children Healthy
I cannot mention this enough: focus on the fun instead of the distance.
Children start running at an early age. They run when they play, to get somewhere or just because they want to run. Parents and coaches have the responsibility of protecting children from doing too much, too soon.
Make sure that your child is not exposed to extreme heat and humidity during runs. This is extremely dangerous for everyone, but especially for children. Your child needs enough water on every run, but on warm days it should never be ignored.
To minimize the risk of injury, make sure your child wears proper footwear when running. Visit a specialized running store and find shoes that fit to protect!
5 Tips For Healthy Children
Do you wonder what is healthy for your kids? These five tips can help you in the right direction:
– Exercise for at least 30-60 minutes a day; you can go walking, cycling, swimming or running.
– Eat fruits and vegetables with every meal.
– Eating six small meals is better than three big ones.
– Never skip a nutritional breakfast.
– Drink water or milk and skip the juices.
Don’t wait – join the parent/child running community today!
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