Kids Can Benefit Health-Wise With Pedometers
Various studies show that adults who wear a pedometer increase the amount of daily activity, but it has also been shown that the same holds true for kids. A pedometer is useful to adults and kids, because it encourages and motivates to remain active.
Everyone knows that exercise is important in order to keep the body healthy. It is recommended to walk about five miles each day and that is equivalent to 10,000 steps. After this recommendation became widespread, it was not an uncommon sight to see adults wearing pedometers and keeping track of how many steps they took each day. This resulted in better health for the adults, as well as supported the weight loss programs of those trying to get rid of the extra pounds.
Many kids today are overweight or even obese. The reason for this is that children nowadays spend more of their time playing indoors, because of activities like video games, using the computer or watching TV. In the past children were not as heavy, because they also spent a lot more time playing outdoors and this inactivity of overweight kids today is also resulting in more and more overweight adults. The solution is simple and that is that kids simply need to be more active. However, accomplishing this is not as easy and that is where pedometers can be of help.
Since pedometers have worked so well for adults, it was believed that they could do the same for kids. Human beings are all the same, no matter their age, when it comes to wanting to feel accomplished for their actions. When it comes to being active, a pedometer is a way to see that you are accomplishing something. You get an instant read out showing just how many steps you have taken and when giving a goal of steps to reach, you are more likely to try to reach that goal.
It is not hard to talk kids into using a pedometer, especially if parents turn it into a game. It is first necessary to explain how the pedometer works and what it does so that the child understands. If the child receives a reward for reaching the goal and taking a certain number of steps each day, then they will be motivated by the incentive. This is similar to the rewards system used for potty training kids, where the kids have fun and work hard towards achieving the goals set.
Using a pedometer is a fun way for parents to encourage their kids to be more active, without actually having to push them outside to play. Kids will be less likely to resist and more likely to increase their activity. It is a win-win situation. In the end, though, the biggest reward from kids using pedometers is that they are getting healthier and losing excess weight. They are being active and that is something that will stick with them for a life time.