Keep Your Child Active Indoors with Dumex

Getting your child to stand up and move about can be a challenge in the digital age. According to the Ministry of Health Singapore, childhood obesity is closely linked to obesity in adulthood1. Active play can happen indoors as well as outdoors. Children need to be active to strengthen muscles and bones, learn new things, and be healthy. Despite having to stay indoors, it is possible to keep your child active and happy indoors! With a little imagination and creativity, parents can come up with fun indoor exercises for the whole family.

1. AGE-APPROPRIATE PHYSICAL EXERCISES

Being active every day helps children to maintain healthy physical and mental well-being. However, not all exercises are suitable and may require parental supervision. For children under the age of 7, it is recommended to have 180 minutes of physical activity per day2. It can be planned and organized, unstructured free play, or a mix of both. If your little one isn’t ready to walk yet, floor-based activities including reaching, pushing, pulling and crawling are enough to be physically active. To make it more exciting, set up a mini obstacle course around the house!

While your children are developing their motor and cognitive skills through games and activities, it is essential to have the right nutrition to keep them going throughout the day. Dumex Mamil Gold Stage 3 is specially formulated with DHA as high as 75mg per 100g for children aged 1 to 3 years old to support brain growth and development, together with a unique prebiotic blend of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and long chain fructo-oligosaccharides (IcFOS) in a 9:1 ratio to support good digestive health.

By 7 years of age, children should gradually progress towards at least 60 minutes of physical activity with moderate to vigorous intensity2. Aerobic exercises like dancing and body stretches are great indoor exercises for the whole family. These activities allow kids (and adults) to adjust their energy level without excessive physical exertion. For this age category, Dumex Mamil Gold Stage 5 is better suited to support your growing child with calcium, vitamin D, vitamin E and zinc to assist with bone, teeth development and immunity support.

2. SET ASIDE “NO SCREEN TIME”

Staying active at home involves physical fitness as well as active communication. Undeniably, having to stay indoors encourages more screen time for leisure and work. Excessive time on electronic devices can result in eye strain, overweight issues and being unproductive with time. To minimize your junior’s device usage, set a specific time they can spend on their devices with reasonable arrangements. For example, one hour of leisure screen time after dinner or schoolwork. Meanwhile, parents also play an influential role in curbing this sedentary lifestyle. Keep away all devices during family exercise and refrain from touching them at the dinner table. It will create a special time and place for everyone to engage in face-to-face communication without distractions. Soon, you’ll realize the invaluable benefits of cutting back on screen usage, and how these sacrifices far outweigh the inconvenience of keeping them out of sight.

3. PARTICIPATING PARENTS

Parents who are directly involved with their child’s physical fitness would likely establish a habit to exercise. According to a study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, parental support and behaviours influence children’s physical activity habits.

Therefore, physically active children will likely continue their healthy lifestyle well into adulthood. Parents will also benefit greatly when exercising alongside their kids. In fact, research shows that joint parent-child physical activity increases activity levels of both parents and children4. As parents are primary role models for children to follow, it is all the more crucial for parents to approach physical fitness as a family priority. Parents should exercise together with their children to better their own health and to instill sound exercise habits in their little ones. Create unforgettable memories together while keeping your child energized with Dumex Mamil Gold!

4. FOCUS ON FUN!

Not sure how to make exercises fun and energetic? Play some tunes!

Incorporating music into physical activities relieves tension, increases stamina and makes everything exciting! Based on the findings conducted by Spotify and researchers at Brunel University London5, there are certain types of music that influence the way you exercise due to the tempo which affects the exercise rhythm. You can go with nursery rhymes or children songs — Or, you can share the songs you grew up with during a family workout session. Introduce pop, disco and funk for warm-up and cool-down exercises. Does your child love to sing? That’s a plus!

While it’s good to see your kids having fun exercising, remember to consider alternating between short periods of activity and short periods of rest for them. After all that active play, feed hungry tummies with Dumex Mamil Gold! Make physical activity as part of your child’s daily routine to set the foundation for a lifetime of fitness and good health. To maintain an active lifestyle for your little one, it requires healthy support of bone development and digestive system. Try Dumex Mamil Gold, our premium range of stage-tailored nutrition at https://www.dumex.com.sg!

REFERENCES:

OBESITY-RELATED ILLNESSES IN CHILDREN BELOW AGE 18 (2018). Retrieved from: https://www.moh.gov.sg/news-highlights/details/obesity-related-illnesses-in-children-below-age-18.

STAR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR ON THE RIGHT FOOT WITH 60 MINS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY A DAY (2012). Retrieved from: https://www.hpb.gov.sg/article/start-the-new-school-year-on-the-right-foot-with-60-minutes-of-physical-activity-a-day

Yao C.A., & Rhodes R.E. (2015). Parental correlates in child and adolescent physical activity: a meta-analysis. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 12(10). 1-38. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-015-0163-y

Dunton, G. F., Liao, Y., Almanza, E., Jerrett, M., Spruijt-Metz, D., Chou, C-P., & Pentz, M. A. (2012). Joint Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Parent–Child Pairs. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 44(8), 1473-1480. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e31825148e9

Terry, P. C., & Karageorghis, C. I. (2011). “Music in sport and exercise,” in The New Sport and Exercise Psychology Companion, eds T. Morris and P. C. Terry (Morgantown, WV: Fitness Information Technology), 359–380.

​​​