Kids exercise all the time without even thinking of
it. Just being active, like when you run around outside or play
kickball at school, is a kind of exercise. What else counts as
exercise? Playing sports, dancing, doing push-ups, and even reaching
down to touch your toes.
When you exercise, you're helping build a strong
body that will be able to move around and do all the stuff you need
it to do. Try to be active every day and your body will thank you
later!
Exercise Makes Your Heart Happy
You may know that your
heart is a muscle. It works hard, pumping blood every day of
your life. You can help this important muscle get stronger by doing
aerobic (say: air-o-bik) exercise.
Aerobic means "with air," so aerobic exercise
is a kind of activity that requires oxygen. When you breathe, you
take in oxygen, and, if you're doing aerobic exercise, you may
notice you're breathing faster than normal. Aerobic activity can get
your heart pumping, make you
sweaty, and quicken your breathing.
When your give your heart this kind of workout on a
regular basis, your heart will get even better at its main job -
delivering oxygen (in the form of oxygen-carrying blood cells) to
all parts of your body.
So you want to do some aerobic exercise right now?
Try swimming, basketball, ice or roller hockey, jogging (or walking
quickly), in-line skating, soccer, cross-country skiing, biking, or
rowing. And don't forget that skipping, jumping rope, and playing
hopscotch are aerobic activities, too!
Exercise Strengthens Muscles
Another kind of exercise can help make your
muscles stronger. Did you ever do a push-up or swing across the
monkey bars at the playground? Those are exercises that can build
strength. By using your muscles to do powerful things, you can make
them stronger. For older teens and adults, this kind of workout can
make muscles bigger, too.
Here are some exercises and activities to build
strong muscles:
- push-ups
- pull-ups
- tug-of-war
- rowing
- running
- in-line skating
- bike riding
Exercise Makes You Flexible
Can you touch your toes easily without yelling ouch? Most kids are
pretty flexible, which means that they can bend and stretch their
bodies without much trouble. This kind of exercise often feels
really good, like when you take a big stretch in the morning after
waking up. Being flexible is having "full range of motion," which
means you can move your arms and legs freely without feeling
tightness or
pain. It's easy to find things to do for good flexibility:
- tumbling and gymnastics
- yoga
- dancing, especially ballet
- martial arts
- simple stretches, such as touching your toes or side stretches
Exercise Keeps the Balance
Food gives your body fuel in the form of calories, which are a kind
of energy. Your body needs a certain amount of calories every day
just to function, breathe, walk around, and do all the basic stuff.
But if you're active, your body needs an extra measure of calories
or energy. If you're not very active, your body won't need as many
calories. Whatever your calorie need is, if you eat enough to meet
that need, your body
weight will stay about the same. If you eat more calories than
your body needs, it may be stored as excess fat.
Exercise Makes You Feel Good
It feels good to have a strong, flexible body that can do all the
activities you enjoy - like running, jumping, and playing with your
friends. It's also fun to be good at something, like scoring a
basket, hitting a home run, or perfecting a dive. But you may not
know that exercising can actually put you in a better mood.
When you exercise, your brain releases a chemical called
endorphins (say: en-dor-funz), which may make you feel
happier. It's just another reason why exercise is cool!
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