When it comes to exercise for kids, making fitness fun is essential. Fortunately, the animal kingdom provides a wealth of inspiration for exciting and imaginative movements that can help kids improve their strength, flexibility, and mobility. These activities not only help kids stay active, but they also provide an opportunity for parents to join in and get a workout too!
Daily Routine
Create a fun and engaging daily routine by putting the following animal exercises in a hat and picking three to imitate every day. Each exercise should be done for 30 seconds, followed by a rest, and then repeating the circuit three times. Watch this video to see the movements in action!
Bear Crawl
Instructions: Start on your hands and knees, gently lift your knees off the ground, and crawl like a bear, keeping your back flat and your knees bent. Move forward, backward, and laterally.
Challenges: Add weight on your back or eliminate one arm or leg for an extra challenge.
Crab Walk
Instructions: Start on your bottom with your hands behind your back and legs bent at the knees. Lift your bottom off the ground and move like a crab. Try to keep your belly parallel to the ground.
Challenges: Add weight on your belly or incorporate toe touches.
Gorilla Walk
Instructions: Start in a deep squat and travel in any direction to build strength and flexibility, similar to a gorilla's movement. Remember to swing your arms back and forth while walking.
Bunny Hop
Instructions: Hop across the room with both feet together like a bunny to get your heart rate up.
Frog Jump
Instructions: Start in a deep squat and jump up as high as you can with your hands and feet leaving the ground at the same time.
Inchworm
Instructions: Walk like an inchworm to build strength, starting in a standing position and then walking out to a plank.
Alligator Crawl (Army Crawl)
Instructions: Move forward while alternating between your right arm and left leg, and left arm and right leg to build total-body strength.
Seal Crawl
Instructions: Crawl using only your hands while dragging your legs behind to build strength.
Duck Waddle
Instructions: Waddle like a duck around the house to raise your heart rate.
Dinosaur Stomp
Instructions: Stomp like a dinosaur to release your energy, focusing on lifting your knees as high as possible.
Unleashing your inner animal through these exciting and imaginative exercises not only makes fitness fun and engaging for kids but also helps improve their strength, flexibility, and mobility. So, grab a hat, pick your exercises, and let the animal movements begin!
